ckeating

With candidates knitting their brows, pouting, barking at hecklers, making sweeping hand gestures, and wearing high-heeled boots, the 2016 primary season is a true wild west show. “I’ve never seen an election quite like this one, where stage presence has meant so much,” said Colgate University Professor of Psychology Carrie Keating. “So what are the […]

Psychology professor Carrie Keating studies charisma, physical leadership qualities, and the facial features that suggest power as well as compassion. Last night, she watched the first of four presidential campaign debates for clues to how the candidates are being perceived by voters in the home stretch.

Next time you watch the presidential candidates speak, pay close attention to their unspoken language–signals such as facial expressions, posture, and hand gestures. What the candidates don’t say could actually speak volumes about them, according to psychology professor Carrie Keating, an expert in facial characteristics and gestures.