Body Language Analysis Report

Susan Constantine, President

Silent Messages, Inc. — 2028 Bobtail Drive Maitland Florida, 32751 T: 407.405.3417 E: susan@silentmessages.com
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Overview:
On February 12, 2013 Dr. Richard Fuisz requested body language expert Susan Constantine to review a 10 minute
video clip and analyze the body language of Elizabeth Holmes. After analyzing (5) video clips, and (1) audio clip,
I found that Ms. Holmes body language exhibited behavioral symptoms of anxiety and stress related to the fear of
being disbelieved and low self-esteem.

Background:
The purpose in analyzing the videos was to determine the cause of Ms. Holmes unusual nonverbal behaviors and
if those behaviors are indicators of one’s state-of-mind. Body linguistics is not judging or predicting. It is the
interpretation of thoughts and feelings externalized through a combination of cues—gestures, facial expressions,
spoken words, and tone of voice. Part art and part science, reading body language is a combination of subjective and
objective analyses based on grounded research.

Behavior Symptoms Analyzed:

- Laughing and giggles

- Awkward smiling
- Manipulator hand gestures
- Voice pauses, hesitations, and stop and start
- Incongruent facial expressions to words spoken

Process:
Phase 1:

To begin the analysis I reviewed the four videos to get an overall first impression.

Phase 2: Play backed each video to locate ‘Hot Spots” and made note of indicators in question.

Phase 3: Play backed each video in seconds (slow motion) to locate micro-expression and concealed emotions.

Phase 4: Locate consistencies and inconsistences between facial expressions / words, voice tone/ facial
expressions, body language/ facial expressions, and combinations thereof.

Phase 5: Reviewed YouTube video (5) to determine baseline behavior in different environments and talking
points.

Phase 6: Established baseline of ones norm to compare and contrast videos.

I located a YouTube video where Ms. Holmes served as a panelist on the topic of “The Future of Personalized
Medicine.” I was able to determine Ms. Holmes baseline to find her normal behavior in difference environments
and talking points. I then compared the videos in question to the YouTube video.
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Videos:
1. “The Essentials of Team Building” http://ecorner.stanford.edu/authorMaterialInfo.html?mid=2198

2. “Leveraging the Talent Network” http://ecorner.stanford.edu/authorMaterialInfo.html?mid=2199

3. “The Extreme Relevance of Cash Flow” http://ecorner.stanford.edu/authorMaterialInfo.html?mid=2200

4. “Progressing as a Teenage Entrepreneur” http://ecorner.stanford.edu/authorMaterialInfo.html?mid=2201

5. “ The Future of Personalized Medicine” uploaded on March 28, 2010. Panelist: Pitch Johnson, General
Partner, Asset Management Company; Elizabeth Holmes, President and CEO, Theranos; Brook Byers,
Partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.

Observations:

Laughter
Laughter is a release of stress and anxiety and a psychological effect of erasing the meaning of one’s
statement. Laughter followed by a significant statement diminishes the confidence in one’s statement.
Ms. Holmes was not confidence in her own words as compared to video (5) where Ms. Holmes feels
confident in her environment and talking points.

Laughter and giggles just before or immediately after a statement can be suspect to deception, although,
laughter and humor also relieves anxiety in both truthful and deceptive persons and can be easily
misunderstood without other clues.

Moreover the timing and context of laughter or attempted humor may become a meaningful symptom of
deception only when it is followed by a statement.

Awkward Smiling - Duping Delight

There are those who get satisfaction from pulling one over on others. When one feels they have duped
there is a sense of arousal or delight. This duping delight is often accompanied by an inappropriate or
awkward smile. Duping delight occurs when a deceiver feels exhilaration, joy, pleasure, glee, or
satisfaction in deception.

This was noted after several times through videos (1-5) and following her statement “pulling it off.”
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Hand and Arm Gestures

In video (5), Ms. Holmes exhibited confident hand and arm gestures. Punctuating words with fingers,
hands, and arms in a rhythmic motion grabs attention and emphasizes a point or meaning. These
gestures can be used on each syllable or on anchor words. Short, one-beat gestures are best when
making a point, and repeated rhythmic patterns drive your message home, if your goal is to be hard-
hitting on a subject.

In video (1-4), Ms. Holmes exhibits low confidence hand gestures. This was noted by an overused
steeple then shifting to an inverted steeple with fingers intertwined and frigidness. A fact matter expert
may steeple when followed by a profound statement rather than a frozen contrived steeple.

Voice – Pauses, Hesitation, and Speech Errors

A self-doubter or deceptiveness in verbal communication is often rife with long pauses, ands or um’s
which suggests the person is never quite sure of what one is saying. Their words and actions are often
out of sync as he tries to appear more confident than one is, but underlines every action with a micro-
expression of underlying doubt— pain and distress in forehead when speaking, and often accompanied
by an awkward smile or giggle. This was noted in video’s (1-4) in pauses, stop and start, awkward
smiles, giggles, speech errors, hesitations and um, ah: stalling for time.

Facial Expressions
The FACE reveals true, hidden, and concealed emotions. Distress and pain was seen in the forehead of
Ms. Holmes as indicated by horizontal lines across the forehead and raised eyebrows. Ms. Holmes
forced smile followed by laughter are signals of stress and anxiety i/e lack of confidence in what the
speaker is saying.

Conclusion:
Ms. Holmes behavioral symptoms are consistent with anxiety and stress related to the fear of being
disbelieved by others and the desire to appear credible. The awkward hand gestures, giggles, laughs, and
speech errors are symptoms of anxiety. The award smile is indicators of duping delight, the thrill of
pulling one over. It is apparent Ms. Holmes feels more comfortable in some environments than others.
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