Category: Pensive displays

Attentive body language, Evaluative body language, Pensive displays

Body Language of Finger Moving Up The Chin

by Chris • October 21, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Finger Moving Up The Chin

Cue: Finger Moving Up The Chin

Synonym(s): Thumb Under The Chin Index Finger To The Cheek, Palm Under The Chin Fingers On The Cheek.

Description: a) The index finger is moved up the outside of the cheek from the jaw line toward the temples. b) The palm may also rest under the chin with the remaining fingers on the cheek. c) The thumb rests under the chin and the index finger lies against the cheek.

In One Sentence: When the finger seems to move up the chin to the side of the face it says that a person is thoughtfully evaluating.

How To Use it: Use this while being presented important information to show that you are paying it consideration. This is helpful at business meetings as well as in other presentations. The speaker will see you as being thoughtful, mindful, and objective. The cue can also buy you time with a seller as they will see, through nonverbal channels, that you are considering the information. It may also show that they need to sweeten the deal with additional perks to sway your opinion.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I’m evaluating, so I’m connecting the wisdom from my chin (my beard) to the thoughts in my mind with my index finger.

Variant: Related to Chin Stroking and Hand To Cheek. One may also tapping a pen against the chin and or rub the temple.

Cue In Action: The associate rested his chin lightly on his hand so we knew he was evaluating. The outcome turned sour as the meeting dragged on and problems arose with the projector. Once things were resolved, he was in a full bore with his hand fully supporting his chin. After a short recess, we were about to make a deal and the associate put his hand back on his chin, but this time his index finger ran up the side of his face. We immediately stopped the presentation and waited for him to decide.

Meaning and/or Motivation: When the hands touch the face and interest is present, the index and thumb will form an “L” shape and the chin is placed in the crux of the “L” but is not supported by it. Conversely, with genuine interest, the hand will barely touch the side of the face. In this case, the hand curls and the knuckles gently rests against the side of the face, and in other cases, the hand remains open with the finger tips of the index and middle finger gently resting on the cheek.

As the listener becomes bored or tired, the hand will bear more and more of the weight and the body will seem to slump completely over the hand and be supported by it. As boredom sets in, the thumb will move under the chin to help the person hold their head even further, or the chin will seem to compress into the palm.

Cue Cluster: Stroking the chin, flared nostrils, pinching the bridge of the nose and rubbing the back of the neck all indicate that thought is being placed and outcomes weighed.

Body Language Category: Attentive, Evaluative, Pensive displays.

Resources:

Almerigogna, Jehanne ; Ost, James ; Akehurst, Lucy ; Fluck, Mike. How Interviewers’ Nonverbal Behaviors Can Affect Children’s Perceptions and Suggestibility. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology. 2008. 100(1): 17-39.

Doody, John ; Bull, Peter. Asperger’s Syndrome and the Decoding of Boredom, Interest, and Disagreement from Body Posture. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 2011. 35(2): 87-100.

Kirkland, Rena A. ; Peterson, Eric ; Baker, Crystal A. ; Miller, Stephanie ; Pulos, Steven. Meta-analysis reveals adult female superiority in “Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test”.(Report). North American Journal of Psychology. 2013. 15(1): 12.

Navarro, Joe. 2008. What Every BODY is Saying: An Ex-FBI Agent’s Guide to Speed-Reading People. William Morrow Paperbacks.

Pease, Barbara and Allan Pease. 2006. The Definitive Book of Body Language Hardcover. Bantam.

*No Photo, Boredom body language, Closed facial gestures, Defensive body language, Disengagement body language, Distancing or moving away, Escape movements, Indicators of disinterest (IOD), Pensive displays

Body Language of Eyes Defocused or Eyes Unfocused

by Chris • October 21, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Eyes Defocused or Eyes Unfocused

Cue: Eyes Defocused or Eyes Unfocused

Synonym(s): Unfocused Eyes, Glazing Over.

Description: When the eyes are unmoving and stare blankly seemingly looking through people and things.

In One Sentence: Defocused eyes signals that a person is internalizing emotions and thoughts.

How To Use it: Use defocused eyes to escape and reflect. This can be useful when trying to free one’s self of particularly stressful situation or when one needs time to reflect. Permitting the eyes to lose their intensity is useful while in busy or congested areas of cities as it allows the mind to rest. When you find yourself daydreaming, go along with it, as this can help recharge the mind. Often, daydreaming produces unique ideas and solutions.

Defocused eyes can also be used to signal to presenters that they should improve their delivery.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I’m dealing with something internally. My thoughts are focused and intense or contrarily, daydreaming, thus my eyes are relaxed and unfocused as I think inwardly rather than deal with the external world.”

Variant: Staring or The Evil Eye.

Cue In Action: She tried to get the little boy’s attention, but he stared blankly out the window. His mind had drifted off to an imaginary world of dinosaurs.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Indicates that attention is focused inward rather than outward.

Unfocused eyes can be as much the result of boredom as a desire to seek stimulation from inner thoughts and ideas, instead of what the real world has to offer. Other times, unfocused eyes are due to a need to escape for some time alone to reflect without external inputs. Additionally, people may escape particularly stressful situations through unfocused eyes as a method of coping stoically.

Cue Cluster: The head and body will remain still and be relaxed, the face will be open up and remain calm and blank. The body will seem to lose it’s flex and enter a sort of dormant or zombie state.

Body Language Category: Boredom, Closed facial gestures, Defensive, Disengagement, Distancing or moving away, Escape movements, Indicators of disinterest (IOD), Pensive displays.

Resources:

Carvajal, Fernando ; Rubio, Sandra ; Serrano, Juan ; Ríos-Lago, Marcos ; Alvarez-Linera, Juan ; Pacheco, Lara ; Martín, Pilar. Is a neutral expression also a neutral stimulus? A study with functional magnetic resonance. Experimental Brain Research, 2013. 228(4): 467-479.

Channell, Marie Moore ; Barth, Joan M. Individual differences in preschoolers’ emotion content memory: the role of emotion knowledge. Journal of experimental child psychology. 2013. 115(3): 552-61.

Ekas, Naomi V. ; Haltigan, John D. ; Messinger, Daniel S. The Dynamic Still-Face Effect: Do Infants Decrease Bidding over Time when Parents Are Not Responsive? Developmental Psychology. 2013. 49(6): 1027-1035.

Giuseppe Blasi; Ahmad R. Hariri; Guilna Alce; Paolo Taurisano; Fabio Sambataro; Saumitra Das; Alessandro Bertolino; Daniel R. Weinberger and Venkata S. Mattay. Preferential Amygdala Reactivity to the Negative Assessment of Neutral Faces. 2009. 6(9): 847-853.

Heisel, Marnin ; Mongrain, Myriam. Facial Expressions and Ambivalence: Looking for Conflict in All the Right Faces. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 2004. 28(1): 35-52.

King, Laura A. Ambivalence over emotional expression and reading emotions in situations and faces. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1998 74(3): 753(10)

Kraft, Tara L ; Pressman, Sarah D. Grin and Bear It. Psychological Science. 2012. 23(11): 1372-1378.

Heisel, Marnin ; Mongrain, Myriam. Facial Expressions and Ambivalence: Looking for Conflict in All the Right Faces. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 2004. 28(1): 35-52.

Matsumoto, David ; Hwang, Hyisung C. Desteno, David (editor). Judgments of Subtle Facial Expressions of Emotion. Emotion. 2014. 14(2): 349-357.

Pinkham, Amy E. ; Brensinger, Colleen ; Kohler, Christian ; Gur, Raquel E. ; Gur, Ruben C. Actively paranoid patients with schizophrenia over attribute anger to neutral faces. Schizophrenia Research. 2011 125(2): 174-178.

Rothman, Naomi B. Steering Sheep: How Expressed Emotional Ambivalence Elicits Dominance in Interdependent Decision Making Contexts. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. 2011. 116: 66-82.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/ambivalent-facial-expression-form-dominance-study

Shah, Rebecca ; Lewis, Michael. Locating the neutral expression in the facial-emotion space. Visual Cognition. 2003. 10(5): 549-566.

Weisfeld, Glenn E. and Jody M. Beresford. Erectness of Posture as an Indicator of Dominance or Success in Humans. Motivation and Emotion. 1982. 6(2): 113-130.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/body-language-cues-dominance-submission-children/

Wolf K, Mass R, Ingenbleek T, Kiefer F, Naber D et al. (2005) The facial pattern of disgust, appetence, excited joy and relaxed joy: an improved facial EMG study. Scand J Psychol 46: 403-409. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9450.2005.00471.x. PubMed: 16179022.

Woud, Marcella L. ; Becker, Eni S. ; Lange, Wolf – Gero ; Rinck, Mike. Effects of approach-avoidance training on implicit and explicit evaluations of neutral, angry, and smiling face stimuli.(Relationships & Communications). Psychological Reports. 2013. 113(1): 1211(18).

Vanderhasselt, Marie – Anne ; Kühn, Simone ; De Raedt, Rudi. Put on your poker face’: neural systems supporting the anticipation for expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. 2013 8(8): 903-910.

Aggressive body language, Anger body language, Attentive body language, Closed body language, Closed facial gestures, Confused body language, Dislike (nonverbal), Doubt or disbelief body language, Eye blocking, Eye Language, Microexpression, Micromessaging, Pensive displays, Protective reflexes, Suppressed facial expression, Suspicious body language

Body Language of Eye Squinting or Narrowing Eyes

by Chris • October 21, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Eye Squinting or Narrowing Eyes

Cue: Eye Squinting or Narrowing Eyes

Synonym(s): Narrowing Eyes, Furrowing Eyes, Compressed Eyelids, Wincing Eyes, Eye Constriction, Eye Blocking, Eye Shield, Shielding The Eyes, Squinting.

Description: Eye squinting happens when the eyelids are compressed together serving to constrict the eyes. It can sometimes occur in just a fraction of a second before disappearing.

In One Sentence: Narrowing the eyes is due to physical or emotional pain.

How To Use it: When you do not like what is being said or seen, simply narrow your eyes. This tells others that you do not like what you are seeing or hearing. You may perform this eye language in brief within just fractions of a seconds. While people may not consciously perceive the signal, it will likely still register subconsciously. If the person for whom the cue is intended, notices, they may revisit their proposal and add additional incentives to ease your negative judgment.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “What I’m seeing is causing me emotional or physical pain and to prevent all that negativity from coming into my body I’m going to squint and block to resist.”

Variant: See Anger Facial Expression, Hand To Eye Gesture.

Cue In Action: a) A person will wince when reading objectionable portions of a contract. b) She winced when the student missed the correct note on the piano. It caused her visceral pain.

Meaning and/or Motivation: An eye blocking form of body language designed to prohibit distasteful images or even thoughts from being received at full view. Narrowing eyes indicates contempt, distaste and anger. A person will not only squint from seeing objectionable sights, but also negative thoughts or sounds.

Wincing falls into the category of microexpressions since it can happen in only fractions of a second before disappearing, yet it remains full of meaning.

Wincing can also be due to the sudden approach of projectiles toward the eyes or body as well as the sun’s glare. Eyes can also be squinted in order to help a person see print that is too small. Thus, at times, squinting forms a functional purpose not exclusively driven by emotion.

A delayed opening or prolonged eye closure can be due to negative emotions or displeasure. A full wince with the eyes closed tightly signifies the desire to totally block out information.

Cue Cluster: General tightening of the face will occur such as mouth pursing. We may also see lip biting, hand clenching, shoulders and feet turned away, arms pulled in to protect and arms crossed.

Body Language Category: Attentive, Aggressive body language, Anger, Confused, Closed body language, Closed facial gestures, Dislike (nonverbal), Doubt or disbelief body language, Eye blocking, Eye Language, Microexpressions, Micromessaging, Negative body language, Pensive displays, Protective reflexes, Suppressed facial expression, Suspicious body language.

Resources:

Aviezer, Hillel; Ran R. Hassin; Jennifer Ryan; Cheryl Grady; Josh Susskind; Adam Anderson; Morris Moscovitch and Shlomo Bentin. Angry, Disgusted, or Afraid? Studies on the Malleability of Emotion Perception. Psychological Science. 2008. 19(7): 724-732.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/emotions-read-context-study/

Aaron, Sell; Cosmides, Leda and Tooby, John. The Human Anger Face Evolved to Enhance Cues of Strength. Evolution and Human Behavior. 2014. 35(5): 425-429.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/the-universal-anger-face/

Biehl, M., Matsumoto, D., Ekman, P., Hearn, V., Heider, K., Kudoh, T., et al. (1997). Matsumoto and Ekman’s Japanese and Caucasian Facial Expressions of Emotion (JACFEE): Reliability Data and Cross-National Differences. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 21, 3-21.

Brooks, C. I., Church, M. A., & Fraser, L. 1986. Effects of duration of eye contact on judgments of personality characteristics. Journal of Social Psychology. 126: 71–78.

Carroll E. 1994. Innate and universal facial expressions: Evidence from developmental and cross-cultural research Izard, Psychological Bulletin. 115(2): 288-299.

Davis 1978. Camera Eye-Contact by the Candidates in the Presidential Debates of 1976 Source: The journalism quarterly. 55 (3): 431 -437.

Ellsworth, Phoebe; Carlsmith, J Merrill. 1973. Eye contact and gaze aversion in an aggressive encounter. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 28(2): 280-292.

Ekman, P. (1994). Strong evidence for universals in facial expressions: A reply to Russell’s mistaken critique. Psychological Bulletin, 115, 268-287.

Gordon, A. K. and A. G. Miller. 2000. Perspective differences in the construal of lies: is deception in the eye of the beholder? Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 26 (1): 46-55.

Gilliam, Harold V. B.; Van Den Berg, Sjef. 1980. Different Levels of Eye Contact: Effects on Black and White College Students. Urban Education. 15 (1): 83-92.

Goldman. 1980. Effect of Eye Contact and Distance on the Verbal Reinforcement of Attitude. The Journal of social psychology 111(1): 73 -78.

Greene 1979. Title: Need-Fulfillment and Consistency Theory: Relationships Between Self-Esteem and Eye Contact. Source: Western journal of speech communication. 43(2): 123 -133.

Galin, D. and Ornstein, R., 1974. Individual Differences in Cognitive Style – Reflective Eye Movements; Neuropsychologia, 12: 376-397.

Craig, Kenneth D. ; Patrick, Christopher J. Hogan, Robert (editor). Facial Expression During Induced Pain. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1985 48(4): 1080-109.

Frijda, Nico H.. What is pain facial expression for? Behavioral and Brain Sciences. 2002. 25(4): 460-460.

Hatz, Jessica L. and Martin J. Bourgeois. Anger as a Cue to Truthfulness. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 2010. 46: 680-683.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/anger-nonverbal-cue-truth-telling/

Hermann, Christiane; Flor, Herta. Facial expression of pain more than a fuzzy expression of distress? Behavioral and Brain Sciences. 2002. 25(4): 462-463.

Kunz, Miriam ; Mylius, Veit ; Schepelmann, Karsten ; Lautenbacher, Stefan. Impact of age on the facial expression of pain. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. 2008. 64(3): 311-318.

Keogh, Edmund; Holdcroft, Anita. Sex differences in pain: Evolutionary links to facial pain expression. Behavioral and Brain Sciences. 2002. 25(4): 465-465.

Kunz, Miriam ; Peter, Jessica ; Huster, Sonja ; Lautenbacher, Stefan Gray, Marcus (Editor). Pain and Disgust: The Facial Signaling of Two Aversive Bodily Experiences (Comparing Facial Expressions of Pain and Disgust). 2013. 8(12): p.e83277

Konopacki 1987. Eye Movement Betrays a Prospect’s Inner Feelings Source: Marketing news 21(10): 4.

Langer, Julia and Rodebaugh, Thomas. Social Anxiety and Gaze Avoidance: Averting Gaze but not Anxiety. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 2013, Vol.37(6): 1110-1120.

LeResche, Linda ; Dworkin, Samuel F. Facial expression accompanying pain
Social Science & Medicine. 1984. 19(12): 1325-1330.

Mobbs, N.A. 1968. Eye-contact in Relation to Social Introversion-Extraversion. British Journal of Social Clinical Psychology 7: 305-306.

Navarro, Joe. 2008. What Every BODY is Saying: An Ex-FBI Agent’s Guide to Speed-Reading People. William Morrow Paperbacks.

Pantic, Maja; Rothkrantz, Leon J. M. Machine understanding of facial expression of pain. Behavioral and Brain Sciences. 2002. 25(4): 469-470.

Rutter, D.C; D. C. Pennington, M. E. Dewey and J. Swain. 1984. Eye-contact as a chance product of individual looking: Implications for the intimacy model of Argyle and Dean. Source: Journal of nonverbal behavior. 8(4): 250-258.

Richard Tessler and Lisa Sushelsky. 1978. Effects of eye contact and social status on the perception of a job applicant in an employment interviewing situation. Journal of Vocational Behavior 13(3): 338-347.

Sitton, Sarah C; Griffin, Susan T. 1981. Detection of deception from clients’ eye contact patterns. Journal of Counseling Psychology. 28(3): 269-271.

Sell, A., Cosmides, L. and Tooby, J., The Human Anger Face Evolved to Enhance Cues of Strength. Evolution and Human Behavior. 2014, doi: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2014.05.008
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/human-anger-face-signal-strength

Underwood, M. K.. Glares of Contempt, Eye Rolls of Disgust and Turning Away to Exclude: Non-Verbal Forms of Social Aggression among Girls. Feminism & Psychology. 2004 14(3): 371-375.

Vlaeyen, Johan W.S. ; Hanssen, Marjolein ; Goubert, Liesbet ; Vervoort, Tine ; Peters, Madelon ; van Breukelen, Gerard ; Sullivan, Michael J.L. ; Morley, Stephen. Threat of pain influences social context effects on verbal pain report and facial expression. Behaviour Research and Therapy. 2009 47(9): 774-782.

Zhao, Ke; Wen-Jing Yan; Yu-Hsin Chen; Xi-Nian Zuo and Xiaolan Fu. Amygdala Volume Predicts Inter-Individual Differences in Fearful Face Recognition. PLOS one. August 2013. (8): 8: e74096. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0074096.g001
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/fear-amygdala

*No Photo, Confused body language, Courtship display, Doubt or disbelief body language, Eye Language, Fearful body language, Frustration or frustrated body language, Indicator Of Sexual Interest (IOsI), Pensive displays, Stressful body language, Worry body language

Body Language of Eye Flutter or Batting Eyes

by Chris • October 21, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Eye Flutter or Batting Eyes

Cue: Eye Flutter or Batting Eyes

Synonym(s): Eyelash Flickering, Eyelash Batting, Batting Eyelashes.

Description: When the eyelids are opened and closed in rapid succession.

In One Sentence: Eyes that flutter signal sexual arousal, or heightened emotion.

How To Use it: In a dating context, women should bat their eyes in order to draw emphasis to them. Likewise the use of eye liner and mascara can add extra sex appeal by showcasing the “windows to the soul.” Fluttering eyes is linked to emotional arousal, thus, the signal should be paired with other signal such as brief eye contact followed by looking down and smiling. The context will define the eye flutter. For example, girls may flutter their eyes to convince Dad to buy them a treat, whereas Mom might flutter her eyes to her husband to signal sexual intent.

In some context, eye fluttering shows an internal struggle or disbelief, therefore, they should be used carefully.

Context: a) Dating, b) General.

Verbal Translation: a) “I’m aroused sexually and I’m drawing attention to one of my best assets, my sexy eyes and lashes to evoke protective feelings.” b) “I’m having an internal struggle and stress with what you have said and it’s causing me to stutter with my eyes and eyelashes.”

Variant: Eye Blink Rate (Rapid).

Cue In Action: a) When a hot guy passed by, she batted her eyes and look up coyly at him from her desk. b) When asked to the prom, she batted her eyes quickly and persistently with a blank look on her face – she didn’t want to tell him she already had a date.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Used to invoke feelings of protectiveness in others by appearing more childlike. It serves to draw interest to the eyes via long luscious lashes.
Batting the eyes is a cue of sexual interest when done by women in a dating context.

Other times eyelash fluttering is due to an internal struggle as in a high blink rate.

Cue Cluster: The cues will depend on the intension and context. When stress related, we see a blank, caught in the headlights, type expression. While in dating context we see smiling eyes and a doe-like expression.

Body Language Category: Courtship displays, Confused, Doubt or disbelief body language, Eye Language, Fearful body language, Frustration or frustrated body language, Indicators of sexual interest (IOsI), Pensive displays, Stressful body language, Worry body language.

Resources:

Abbey, A., and Melby, C. (1986). The effects of nonverbal cues on gender differences in perceptions of sexual intent. Sex Roles, 15, 283-298.

Argyle, Michael; Lefebvre, Luc; Cook, Mark 1974. The meaning of five patterns of gaze. European Journal of Social Psychology. 4(2): 125-136.

Anderson, Uriah S. ; Perea, Elaine F. ; Vaughn Becker, D. ; Ackerman, Joshua M. ; Shapiro, Jenessa R. ; Neuberg, Steven L. ; Kenrick, Douglas T. I only have eyes for you: Ovulation redirects attention (but not memory) to attractive men. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 2010. 46(5): 804-808.

Bolmont, Mylene; John T. Cacioppo and Stephanie Cacioppo. Love Is in the Gaze: An Eye-Tracking Study of Love and Sexual Desire. Psychological Science July 16, 2014. Published online before print. July 16, 2014, doi: 10.1177/0956797614539706
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/lust-like-eyes-read-body-language-eyes/

Clark, A. Attracting Interest: Dynamic Displays of Proceptivity Increase the Attractiveness of Men and Women. Evolutionary Psychology. 2008., 6(4), 563-574.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/risky-versus-proceptive-nonverbal-sexual-cues/

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Costa, M., & Ricci Bitti, P. E. Face-ism effect and head canting in one’s own and others’ photographs. European Psychologist. 2000. 5: 293–301.

Cari D. Goetz; Judith A. Easton; David M.G. Lewis; David M. Buss. Sexual Exploitability: Observable Cues And Their Link To Sexual Attraction. Evolution and Human Behavior. 2012; 33: 417-426.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/victim-blaming-or-useful-information-in-preventing-rape-and-sexual-exploitation/

Emery, N.J. The eyes have it: the neuroethology, function and evolution of social gaze
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Greer, Arlettee. ; Buss, Davidm. Tactics for promoting sexual encounters
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Goodboy, Alan, K. and Maria Brann. Flirtation Rejection Strategies: Towards an Understanding of Communicative Disinterest in Flirting. The Quantitative Report. 2010. 15(2): 268-278.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/how-to-reject-flirting-using-nonverbal-and-verbal-tactics/

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http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/direct-eye-contact-best-making-request/

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Guéguen, N. The Effect Of A Woman’s Smile On Men’s Courtship Behavior. Social Behavior and Personality. 2008. 36(9): 1233-1236.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/how-women-can-use-a-simple-smile-to-attract-men/

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http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/victim-blaming-or-useful-information-in-preventing-rape-and-sexual-exploitation/

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http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/allure-sexual-vulnerability-move/
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Petrican, Raluca; Christopher T. Burris and Morris Moscovitch. Shame, Sexual Compulsivity, and Eroticizing Flirtatious Others: An Experimental Study. Journal of Sex Research. 2015. 52(1), 98–109, 2015. DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2013.829796
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Appease, Courtship display, Embarrassment (nonverbal), Escape movements, Indicator Of Sexual Interest (IOsI), Pensive displays, Readiness to submit postures, Shy nonverbal, Submissive body language

Body Language of Downcast Eyes or Eyes Down

by Chris • October 20, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Downcast Eyes or Eyes Down

Cue: Downcast Eyes or Eyes Down.

Synonym(s): Downward Gaze, Eye Dip, Eyes Down.

Description: Eyes that are averted by looking down rather than by looking left or right.

In One Sentence: Eyes cast downward signals that one is submissive or embarrassed.

How To Use it: Women are advised to use eyes cast downward in a dating context to show men that they are interested. This is one of the best ways to show that a woman is prepared to accept the dominance of a man. While this is not the only way women can show interest, it is the most universal.

Likewise, small children should use eyes down in order to gain the sympathy and care of adults. When children cast their eyes down, it makes them seem helpless which cues the desire to protect. The same effect is useful for teenagers and even adults who are looking for special privileges which they wish to receive from others.

Reducing eye contact has been shown to help reduce the level of punishment as it shows that one is shameful and submissive and thus, no longer a threat. Thus, use eyes down to placate more dominant individuals.

To avoid being called upon, such as in class, cast they eyes down to show lack of confidence.

Context: a) Dating, b) Business c) General

Verbal Translation: a) “I’m shy and I’m submit to you because I’m attracted to you.” b) “You’re the boss and I’m looking down because you are dominant and I feel threatened by you and respect you.” c) “I’m embarrassed and shamed so I’m acting like a child and submitting to your authority.”

Variant: See Eye Aversion, Gaze Avoidance and Wandering Eyes, Eye Squinting or Narrowing Eyes, Downcast Eyes or Eyes Down.

Cue In Action: a) She was casually looking around the room when her eyes met with a cute guy, she panicked and didn’t know what to do so she averted her eyes by looking down and smiled coyly as she knew she was caught with “her hand in the cookie jar.”

b) The intern kept her gaze low and listened attentively at her new boss to keep the peace and remain low on her radar.

c) When the boss came in with an angry expression, he knew this was headed in the wrong direction. He averted his eyes downward and readied to be scolded.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Indicates submission, coyness, lack of certainty, defeat, guilt, shame or embarrassment depending on the context. Down cast eyes is an indication of submission and serves to placate other more dominant people. Downcast Eyes or Eyes Down can also signify interest especially in a dating context.

Usually the person who looks away first is the more submissive or passive so long as it is done by looking down rather than left or right. The eyes averted downward evoke a protective response from others so we do it in hopes of lessening punishment. When women do it in dating, it signals interest because unlike eyes that move left and right – scanning, eyes down punctuations the eye contact to a specific person.

Alternatively, eyes down can mean someone is concentrating or evaluating information and needs to focus on a problem.

Cue Cluster: a) If she spots someone she is interested in she will quickly avert her eyes downward to show that she isn’t a threat and to show submission, and then she will take a second look. This second glance is directed only toward a man of interest and is not cast around the room. It will be short and she will rotate her head twenty-five to forty degrees to the side then look away (usually downward) within about three seconds. Women usually continue this behavior until they meet their target’s eyes. b) Eyes down in a business context when concentrating is coupled with putting up blinders such as hand to the sides of the face, hand to chin, a blank face, head bobbled from side to side weighing information and so forth. c) When downcast eyes wish to avoid confrontation they will be accompanied by a shrinking body such as shoulders down, head sunk in, palms up, torso down or away and head bowed.

Body Language Category: Appease, Courtship displays, Embarrassment (nonverbal), Escape movements, Indicators of sexual interest (IOsI), Pensive displays, Protective reflexes, Readiness to submit postures, Shy nonverbal, Submissive body language.

Resources:

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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

by Chris • October 20, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Cocooning

Cue: 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:

Brin, Pablo and Oli Richard. Body Posture Effects On Self-Evaluation: A self-Validation Approach. European Journal of Social Psychology. 2009; 39: 1053–1064.

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Auto contact or self touching, Buy signals, Displacement behaviour, Energy Displacement, Pensive displays

Body Language of Chin Stroking

by Chris • October 20, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Chin Stroking

Cue: Chin Stroking.

Synonym(s): Beard Stroking, Rubbing The Moustache.

Description: Rubbing the chin or beard with the hand.

In One Sentence: Rubbing the chin signifies evaluation and thought process.

How To Use it: When trying to come up with a solution, rubbing the chin can activate the mind to seek creative and profound solutions to problems. During negotiation you might use the chin rub to show that you are contemplating options and weighing the benefits. Rubbing the chin can buy you some time to think as it is universally seen as contemplation gesture.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I am thinking or evaluating and I show this by grooming my chin as my source of wisdom.”

Variant: Often the hand is lightly rested on the thumb and index finger when evaluating and thinking. See Hand Supporting The Chin.

Cue In Action: He couldn’t make up his mind between plain vanilla or cookies and cream. He stroked his chin for some time while contemplating the difficult decision.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Chin stroking is an evaluative gesture which was made popular by movies, television shows and cartoons. The cliché says that the chin scratcher is old, wise and bearded! Beard or chin stroking signifies that the decision making process has begun, but that a conclusion hasn’t yet been reached.

Cue Cluster: Decision making can often be accompanied by other evaluative gestures such as rubbing the head, cheek or temple, head tapping, tapping a pen against the chin. Pacifying such as brushing the arms, rubbing the back of the head and neck may also be observed.

Body Language Category: Auto contact or self touching, Buy signals, Displacement behaviour, Energy Displacement, Pensive displays.

Resources:

Barnaby J. Dixson and Robert C. Brooks. The Role Of Facial Hair In Women’s Perceptions Of Men’s Attractiveness, Health, Masculinity And Parenting Abilities. Evolution and Human Behavior, 2013; 34 (3): 236–241.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/study-finds-that-men-are-most-attractive-with-heavy-stubble-beards/

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