Sen. Scott Brown Recalls Childhood Abuse, Preview of This Sunday's 60 Minutes

If for some reason the video's code is not right, try this URL:
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7355810n

If you watch this video without having a baseline you could risk drawing the wrong conclusions.  You would notice the subtle smile/happiness as he describes these horrific events from his past.  Play the first part of the video again and you will see him smile as he is describing the physical and psychological abuse at the hands of his stepfather(s). When he is describing the sexual abuse he is often looking downward and to the left (as we see him) which can be an indicator (for some people) that they are remembering kinetically and/or emotionally.

 Does this mean he is lying about the abuse?  You would think that someone wouldn't have any positive emotions when describing these things.  Could it be that enough time has passed so it is not as emotional about it, or that he feels it will benefit him to be perceived as a victim.   He is in politics, and won a major political office, so by default  he is likable and personable- are we naturally wanting to believe him in spite of all the other signs?  Do we need to look for a baseline again?

First, check out this micro expression!

He is talking about himself as a youngster, and is showing both disgust and contempt.  It starts as disgust and then he also moves his cheek upward and his mouth moves upward (showing more teeth on one side of his mouth). This expression is shown very fast, even for a micro expression.

Let's get back to the baseline:

Check out the video at this http://www.necn.com/Boston/Politics/2009/11/17/Meet-the-Candidate-State/1258466330.html it is the first video I found.  Notice how he answers the question about how he got into politics- you see the same micro expression (this time when thinking about the person he was talking to) and as  he describes the confrontational conversation with this person, we once again see the subtle smile/happiness appear.  It appears he mixes negative messages with the positive smile; this can backfire and leaves people feeling a bit confused... as a politician he should work on this.  There was a man in the town my dad lived that we were talking with him at a diner, and the man described in horrific detail a farm accident that his son had just suffered, and as he described it the entire event and for the entire time he had a large smile plastered on his face. So much so, after we walked out I asked my dad if he liked his son, was he happy that his son got hurt, or what was the deal with the smile.  My dad said he always smiles like that.  It was as if he mom told him to put a smile on his face, as a youngster, and he never took it off.

I think it is clear he is telling the truth about the abuse.

If further evidence is needed, take a look at the many news articles where the press quotes from the book about these incidents, and the word choices he used in the 60 minutes interview is different than the written word from the book- had they  been remotely similar it would have been a hotspot for me  (and a possible sign of a rehearsed made-up story).◦

Sen. Scott Brown Recalls Childhood Abuse, Preview of This Sunday's 60 Minutes