Body Language of Fearful Facial Expression
Cue: Fearful Facial Expression
Synonym(s): N/A
Description: The fearful facial expression is sometimes confused with surprise, as only subtle differences exist between them. During fear, eyebrows rise and are pulled together, and curve, although less than in surprise. Wrinkles also appear in the forehead, but do not cross the entire forehead like in the surprised expression. The upper and lower eyelids rise to expose the white of the eyes. The lips may be stretched back and the mouth opened.
In One Sentence: The fear face is a face demonstrating emotional horror.
How To Use it: Use the fear face to show others that you can not handle the situation at hand. Fear is correctly used by children when they want parents to step in and protect them from danger. The same effect can be had from the fear expression in adults. At worse, the fear face is a warning to others that something dangerous is happening and that caution is advised.
Context: General.
Verbal Translation: “I’m scared and so the muscles in my face contracting and contorting to show my internal panic.”
Variant: N/A
Cue In Action: People jumped back in horror while walking through the haunted house.
Meaning and/or Motivation: The fear facial expression is one of the six universal expressions that exist in humans all around the world which are happiness, sadness, surprise, fear, anger and disgust.
Cue Cluster: Tense muscles accompany a fearful expression. The body might jump; the hands may come up and protect the torso and face in a blocking posture. A person might scream, a breath might be taken in; the head might duck and be tossed backward.
Body Language Category: Fearful body language.
Resources:
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