Body Language of Head Of The Table
Cue: Head Of The Table.
Synonym(s): Leadership Positions, Sitting At The Head Of The Table.
Description: Sitting at the head of the table.
In One Sentence: Sitting at the head of the table is a sign of dominance.
How To Use it: Research has shown that taking on the head of the table not only is reserved for the most dominant, but also when people are assigned to sit there, attributed to them. Therefore, sitting at the head of the table is important for bosses especially, and also for men who wish to form a patriarchy in their house and be seen as the one in charge.
When one does not wish to be seen as a leader, make decisions, or be responsible for the outcome, one should avoid the head of the table.
Context: a) General b) Business.
Verbal Translation: “I’m in charge so I sit at the head of the table which permits me to address each person without having to turn my head.”
Variant: See Stardust Chairs or Stardust Seating Positions.
Cue In Action: a) At dinner, Dad always sat at the head of the table. When he was away on business, the eldest son usually took over his seat. b) As a joke, the new hire sat in the bosses seat at the head of the table. It didn’t go over well.
Meaning and/or Motivation: Researchers attribute visibility and the ability to easily make eye contact with everyone as important features turning the head of the table into a leadership position. When there is no noticeable leader attributed to anyone, the leadership is normally assigned to the person who is sitting at the head of the table.
Interestingly, the leader will also usually find himself in a position which permits him to face the doorway, presumably so he can protect himself from surprise attack.
Cue Cluster: People who claim or sit at the head of the table also carry themselves more confidently with their heads held high, chest out, upright posture, strong handshakes, maintain eye contact, use gesticulation and touch appropriately and so forth.
Body Language Category: Amplifier, Authoritative body language, Dominant body language, Leadership body language.
Resources:
Argyle, M., & Dean, I. Eye contact, distance and affiliation. Sociometry, 1965, 28, 289-304.
Boucher, Michael L. Holzberg, Jules D. (editor). Effect of seating distance on interpersonal attraction in an interview situation. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 1972 38(1): 15-19.
Cook, M. Experiments on orientation and proxemics. Human Relations, 1970, 23, 61-67.
Clack, B., Dixon, J., & Tredoux, C. (2005). Eating together apart: Patterns of segregation in a multi-ethnic cafeteria. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, 15, 1-16. doi:10.1002/casp.787
Castelli, Luigi ; Carraro, Luciana ; Pavan, Giulia ; Murelli, Elisa ; Carraro, Alessia. The Power of the Unsaid: The Influence of Nonverbal Cues on Implicit Attitudes. Journal of Applied Social Psychology. 2012 42(6): 1376-1393.
Coutts, Larrym. ; Ledden, Maribeth. Nonverbal Compensatory Reactions to Changes in Interpersonal Proximity. The Journal of Social Psychology. 1977 102(2): 283-290.
Felipe, N. Interpersonal distance and small group interaction. Cornell Journal of Social Relations, 1966, 1, 59-64.
Felipe, N. Connotations of seating arrangements. Cornell Journal of Social Relations, 1967, 2, 37-44.
Gifford, Robert ; O’Connor, Brian. Nonverbal intimacy: Clarifying the role of seating distance and orientation. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 1986 10(4): 207-214.
Gardin, Hershel ; Kaplan, Kalman J. ; Firestone, Ira J. ; Cowan, Gloria A. Lanzetta, John T. (editor). Proxemic effects on cooperation, attitude, and approach-avoidance in a Prisoner’s Dilemma game. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1973. 27(1): 13-18.
Greenberg, J. 1976. The role of seating position in group interaction: a review, with applications for group trainers. Group & Organization Management 1 (3): 310-327.
Howells, L. T. and S. W. Becker. 1962. Seating arrangement and leadership emergence.
The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology 64(2): 148-150.
Haase, Richard F. ; Dimattia, Dominic J. Berdie, Ralph F. (editor). Proxemic behavior: Counselor, administrator, and client preference for seating arrangement in dyadic interaction. Journal of Counseling Psychology. 1970 17(4): 319-325.
Jackson, Danielle; Erika Engstrom and Tara Emmers-Sommer. 2007. Think Leader, Think Male and Female: Sex vs. Seating Arrangement as Leadership Cues. Sex Roles. 57 (9/10): 713-723.
Jackson, Danielle ; Engstrom, Erika ; Hassenzahl, David M. Effects of sex and seating arrangement on selection of leader. Perceptual and motor skills. 2005. 100(3 Pt 1): 815-8
Kenner, Andrew N. ; Katsimaglis, George. Gender differences in proxemics: taxi-seat choice. Psychological Reports. 1993 72(2): 625(2).
Leventhal, G. 1978, Sex and setting effects on seating arrangement. Journal of Psychology. 100: 21-26.
Lott, D. F. and R. Sommer. 1967. Seating arrangements and status. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 7 (1): 90-95.
Michelini, RL, Passalacqua, R., & Cusimano, J. 1976. Effects of seating arrangement on group participation. Journal of Social Psychology. 99: 179-186.
Mackinnon, Sean P. ; Jordan, Christian H. ; Wilson, Anne E. Birds of a feather sit together: Physical similarity predicts seating choice. Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin. 2011 37(7): 879(14).
Norum, G.A., Russo, N.J., and Sommer, R. 1967. Seating patterns and group tasks. Source: Psychology in the schools. 4(3): 276-280.
Porter, Natalie ; Geis, Florence ; Jennings (Walstedt), Joyce. Are women invisible as leaders? Sex Roles. 1983. 9(10): 1035-1049.
Riess, M. and P. Rosenfeld. 1980. Seating preferences as nonverbal communication: a self-presentational analysis. Journal of Applied Communications Research 8(1): 22.
Stephenson, G. M. and B. K. Kniveton. 1978. Interpersonal and interparty exchange: an experimental study of the effect of seating position on the outcome of negotiations between teams representing parties in dispute. Human Relations 31(6): 555-566.
Scherer, S. E., & Schiff, M. R. Perceived intimacy, physical distance, and eye contact. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 1973, 36, 835-841.
Scott, J. A. Comfort and seating distance in living rooms: The relationship of interactants and topic of conversation. Environment and Behavior, 1984, 16, 35-54.
Sommer, R. Studies in personal space. Sociometry, 1959, 22,247-260.
Sommer, R. The distance for comfortable conversation: A further study. Sociometry, 1962, 25, 111-116.
Sommer, R. Personal space: The behavioral basis of design. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. 1969.
Xu, Y. ; Franconeri, S. L. The Head of the Table: Marking the “Front” of An Object Is Tightly Linked with Selection. Journal of Neuroscience. 2012. 32(4): 1408-1412.
Weiss, M., & Keys, C. The influence of proxemic variables on dyadic interaction between peers. Paper presented at the meeting of the American Psychological Association; Chicago, 1975, August.
Zweigenhaft, R. L. 1976. Personal space in the faculty office: Desk placement and the student-faculty interaction. Journal of Applied Psychology 61 (4): 529-532.