A relatively lacklustre TV debate produced an amusing soundbite in Simon Harris’s “I’m gonna’ get people’s children back from Australia” but also a memorable use of body language by Mary Lou McDonald.
Whatever political allegiance you have, you have to hand it to the Sinn Féin leader for her textbook eyeroll – delivered as Harris distanced himself from the 2008 economic crash, saying Fine Gael “has helped picked this country above its knees on more than one occasion”.
McDonald reacts by first glancing at the Fine Gael leader; then to the camera – making the viewer complicit in the eyeroll that follows. She turns nonchalantly to Harris’s Coalition partner Micheál Martin; a barely suppressed smirk is the cherry a top – recordings of the clip have been widely shared online.
“Political body language is a fascinating case of what can make or break a candidate,” says behavioural psychologist Prof Vlad Glaveanu, who reviewed key exchanges in Tuesday night’s RTÉ Prime Time debate.
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“Bodily communication in general presents us with a tension between spontaneous and controlled expression. It comes naturally to us and, when used effectively, it makes communication more vivid and makes the communicator seem more approachable. It is extremely important especially for getting one’s point across as it adds something that the use of language can’t always do – it raises emotions.”
The debate saw regular face-offs between McDonald and Harris, notably when the Sinn Féin leader interrupted the Taoiseach by placing her hand on his arm. It was part of what Miriam Lord described in her sketch today as McDonald’s “talk-to-the-hand, traffic cop routine” in which Lord asked: “Imagine if one of them had done that [to the Sinn Féin leader]?”
Harris’ response was to stare meaningfully at his arm and then at McDonald – the same expression of disbelief was frequently worn by the Fine Gael leader in response to arguments put forward by his neighbouring opponent throughout the debate.
Glaveanu, professor of psychology at Dublin City University, says: “We react, emotionally, with our bodies, and connect to the emotions of others by observing their bodily expression. These expressions, especially in the case of debating politicians, are scrutinised for more than their meaning, they are judged in terms of authenticity.
“Too scripted or too rigid and they miss the mark, too loose and impulsive and they appear as out of control. And this is where politicians – particularly in debates – have the most difficult task of all when it comes to body language – they need to carefully monitor it while, at the same time, have it seem perfectly natural.
“And there is yet another element to consider which is viewer empathy. If the dialogue triggers in viewers similar bodily reactions – like eye rolling, smirks, expressions of surprise or disgust, etc. – seeing them in politicians has a cathartic function and cements an emotional form of identification. But this is a double edge sword. If viewers find bodily reactions odd or inappropriate they are emotionally driven to distantiate themselves or even experience antipathy.”
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin kept the emotion turned down for most of the debate, becoming most animated when presenter Miriam O’Callaghan quizzed him about the prospect of a Coalition with Sinn Féin.
In a rare moment of disagreement with Mr Harris, the Fianna Fáil leader took issue with Fine Gael’s lack of budgeting for additional health staff but the body language was more apologetic than attack-mode.
“In the age of TikTok and memes, politicians are highly aware that their expressions will not only be seen but they can be seen by many, on a loop,” says Glaveanu.
“Some might try to play the card of social media and offer slightly more exaggerated reactions because of this, others might overly control such expressions. Ultimately, the aim is to capture – with one’s body, not only one’s words – public mood. Is it one of revolt, disbelief, excitement, hope, more of the above? The right type of stare or the occasional eye roll can embody such collective emotions and give politicians an emotional capital that is priceless in politics and, above all, in elections.”
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