Category: Body size reduction

Body size reduction, Closed body language, Emotional body language, Low confidence body language, Negative body language, Orienting reflex or orienting response, Pensive displays, Protective reflexes, Stressful body language

Body Language of Cocooning

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Body Language of Cocooning

BodyLanguageProjectCom - Cocooning 3Cue: Cocooning

Synonym(s): Rolling Into A Ball, Curling Up, Slumping, Putting On Headphones, Texting In Public, Reading A Book In Public.

Description: There are various degrees of cocooning including putting on headphones, putting up the hands to the side of the face, collapsing the head onto the thighs in a seated position.

In One Sentence: Cocooning is to collapse in one ones-self and indicates the desire to protect and recoil from outside harm.

How To Use it: Use this gesture to show others that you are unwell and that you want to gain their sympathy. When you are depressed, coiling up can help you feel safe and protected from the outside world. Onlookers will immediately spot your discomfort and offer sympathy, care, special assistance, or time alone to reflect.

When in busy locations, a set of headphones or reading material can help drown out the outside world permitting one internal reflection. This too is a form of cocooning. When these are not available, allowing the eyes to glaze over can also allow one to escape and reflect.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: a) “Leave me be, I have my headphones on because I just want to be left alone.” b) “I’m thinking about something, I’m not stressed, but I need a moment to ponder something c) “I’m really upset and feeling bad. I’m grieving and I’m really at a loss for words, I may or may not want some comforting.”

Variant: See Shoulder Shrugs or Shoulder Rise, Body Lowering, Fetal Position (The).

Cue In Action: a) While shopping for groceries, Brenda put her headphones on so she wouldn’t have to talk to anyone. b) When asked if she wanted the chicken or fish, she put her hands on the side of her face and thought to herself. c) When told that her father was sick and was certain to pass way, she collapsed; stricken with grief.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Cocooning indicates that concentration is required, a person is experiencing stress or that a person is emotionally withdrawn and requires escape. Other times, a person cocoons as a way to establish privacy in a public setting when they need time to thing and recover from excess stimulation.

Cocooning is a term used to describe body language that indicates a desire not to be bothered. There are various degrees which include a mild form such as putting on headphones to tell others that social interaction is undesired, putting up the hands to the side of the face while studying (mild cocooning), and an extreme form where the head collapses onto the thighs in a seated position which can indicate grieving.

Cue Cluster: Cocooning is usually accompanied by slumped shoulders, hands to face, eyes, or ear, hand to head in a helmet or protective type gesture. The body almost always slumps forward in a fetal position except in mild cocooning. A blank face is usually coupled with cocooning, but under extreme stress we see a grief expression where the brows come together. At times, there might be tears or sobbing.

Body Language Category: Body size reduction, Closed body language, Emotional body language, Low confidence body language, Negative body language, Protective reflexes, Orienting reflex or orienting response, Pensive displays, Stressful body language.

Resources:

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Caplovitz Barrett, Karen. The origins of social emotions and self-regulation in toddlerhood: New evidence. Cognition & Emotion. 2005. 19(7): 953-979.

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Cardasis, W ; Hochman, J A ; Silk, K R. Transitional objects and borderline personality disorder. The American journal of psychiatry 1997, Vol.154(2), pp.250-5.

Cohen, Keith N. ; Clark, James A. Hogan, Robert (editor). Transitional object attachments in early childhood and personality characteristics in later life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1984. 46(1): 106-111.

D’alessio, M. ; Zazzetta, A. Development of Self-Touching Behavior in Childhood. Perceptual and Motor Skills. 1986. 63(1): 243-253.

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Harrison, Lynda Law. The use of comforting touch and massage to reduce stress for preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit. Newborn and Infant Nursing Reviews. 2001. 1(4): 235-241.

Harrigan, Jinni A. Self-touching as an indicator of underlying affect and language processes. Social Science & Medicine. 1985. 20(11): 1161-1168.

Heaven, Laura ; Mcbrayer, Dan ; Prince, Bob. Role of sex in externally motivated self-touching gestures. Perceptual and motor skills. 2002. 95(1): 289-94.

Heaven, L ; Mcbrayer, D. External motivators of self-touching behavior. Perceptual and motor skills. 2000. 90(1): 338-42.

Hyisung C. Hwang, David Matsumoto. Dominance threat display for victory and achievement in competition context. Motivation and Emotion, 2014.

Jessica L. Tracy and David Matsumoto. The Spontaneous Expression Of Pride And Shame: Evidence For Biologically Innate Nonverbal Displays. 2008; 105 (33) 11655-11660.
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*No Photo, Body size reduction, Defensive body language, Emotional body language, Escape movements, Frustration or frustrated body language, Protective reflexes, Submissive body language

Body Language of The Bow and Body Bend

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Body Language of The Bow and Body Bend

No picCue Bow and Body Bend

Synonym(s): Kowtow (Chinese), b) Standing Fetal Position (when due to pain), Prostration.

Description: a) The bow is a gesture done by bending at the waist toward the ground. b) A standing fetal position where the body bends at the waist.

In One Sentence: Bowing is a form of appeasement and also submission which is used to show respect.

How To Use it: Use the bow to show others respect or admiration. This can be done by titling the head down slightly which comes across as shame, or by lowering the eyes. When both cues are done simultaneously, this signals a desire to placate a higher authority. Lowering the body by bending at the waist can also be used to show that one is not in full spirits. This is read as cowering. When done in the face of authority, this may produce feelings of sympathy rather than aggression. In turn, they may offer care and assistance to try to ‘lift your spirits.’

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: a) “I respect you enough to trust you won’t hit me on the top of my head while I lower my eyes toward the ground.” b) “I’ve been emotionally hurt (in the guts) and feel like I need to crouch over in pain.”

Variant: See Crouching.

Cue In Action: a) When addressing the King, Sir Charles bent at the waist and bowed to show his admiration. b) After missing a crucial putt, Tiger bend over in emotional agony.

Meaning and/or Motivation: a) It is a form of supplication as it lowers the body. It is usually done in front of an audience or high ranking official as a way to accept their gratitude or adulation. The body bend shows others that they respect the authority figure and that they are ready to submit to them and their will.

b) A standing fetal position meant is meant to protect or comfort during emotional stress. The body takes on a smaller position and hunches up in exasperation. When the body bends in this way, it’s trying to appear submissive and create a smaller target preventing a more dominant individual from attacking. We see this type of posture when people are hurt emotionally and it is especially prominent while in a seated position. The body will lean to the side and the arms will fold over the stomach as if the guts were cramped up in pain.

Cue Cluster: b) Normally accompanied by hands coming up to the head and clasping or sometimes cut short as if swatting the air away in disgust.

Body Language Category: Body size reduction, Defensive, Escape movements, Frustration or frustrated body language, Protective reflexes, Emotional body language, Submissive body language.

Resources:

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Bartholomewn, Morgan E.; Sheri L. Johnson. Nonverbal Dominance Behavior Among Individuals at Risk for Mania. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2014. 159: 133-138.
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