![\"BodyLanguageProjectCom](\"http:\/\/bodylanguageproject.com\/nonverbal-dictionary\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/BodyLanguageProjectCom-Head-Tilted-or-Head-Cocked-To-The-Side-4.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nSynonym(s)<\/strong>: Canting The Head, Cocking The Head, Head Tilted At Forty Five Degrees, Head Cocked, Head Canting.<\/p>\n Description<\/strong>: The head tilt happens by tilting the head at forty-five degrees. It is much more commonly held by woman and children, than by men.<\/p>\n In One Sentence<\/strong>: Having the head titled to the side indicates sincere interest and curiosity.<\/p>\n How To Use it<\/strong>: Tilt the head to the side whenever you want to show someone that what they are saying fascinates you. Use this when you want the speaker to see your admiration in a nonverbal way. Men and woman can both use this to encourage each other to share more information.<\/p>\n Women can use the head tilt in a dating context to show men that they are submissive as the head tilt reveals the vulnerable neck. Thus, the posture, is particularly alluring.<\/p>\n Context<\/strong>: a) General b) Dating.<\/p>\n Verbal Translation<\/strong>: a) \u201cI like what I\u2019m hearing so I\u2019m canting my head to the side in sincere interest and amusement.\u201d b) \u201cI\u2019m trying to gain your sympathy and protectiveness so I\u2019m appearing childlike and vulnerable so you will want to be my protector.\u201d<\/p>\n Variant<\/strong>: Men will normally cant their heads by raising the chin slightly whereas women prefer to lower their chins coupled with the head tilted upward. It is thought that women wish to send a more childlike image with their head cant, in order to elicit a protective response in men. When men tilt their heads it usually signifies interest and recognition of others and their ideas. See Forehead Bow (The)<\/a>, Head On<\/a>.<\/p>\n Cue In Action<\/strong>: a) The audience was totally engaged after he opened with some interesting and surprising facts about how he overcame bullying. b) She wanted to score a date with a particularly handsome and wealthy man so she really fired on the charm. She tossed her head to the side revealing her neck, cocked her head, look up at him and smiled coyly.<\/p>\n Meaning and\/or Motivation<\/strong>: a) People and animals both incline their heads slightly when they are interested, attentive, or curious. You might have seen a dog twist his head to the side when puzzled by something a person has done. The head cant is a universal signal of interest and attentive listening. When women cant their heads, it depicts appeasement and submission and when men cant their heads they demonstrate recognition. Women also display their necks during their head tilt in order to appear more vulnerable and less threatening.<\/p>\n b) This is a submissive gesture and normally performed by women. The head tilt happens by tilting the head at forty-five degrees and delivering eye contact in a come hither type, coy, teasing, type look with plenty of neck exposure. It makes women appear more childlike and helpless, and evokes protective feelings in men. Its primary motive is to expose vulnerable parts of the body, the neck, to show submission and trust in a man\u2019s dominance.<\/p>\n Cue Cluster<\/strong>: The head cant is normally coupled with eye contact toward the person showing interest coupled with relaxed facial expression and smiling gently.<\/p>\n Body Language Category<\/strong>: Amplifier, Attentive body language, Body size reduction, Courtship display, Indicator of interest (IoI), Indicators of sexual interest (IOsI), Liking, Open body language, Undivided attention (nonverbal).<\/p>\n Resources:<\/strong><\/p>\n Argyle, Michael; Lefebvre, Luc; Cook, Mark 1974. The meaning of five patterns of gaze. European Journal of Social Psychology. 4(2): 125-136.<\/p>\n Abrahams, Matthewf.. Perceiving flirtatious communication: An exploration of the perceptual dimensions underlying judgments of flirtatiousness. Journal of Sex Research. 1994. 31(4): 283-292.<\/p>\n Costa, M., Menzani, M., & Ricci Bitti, P. E. Head canting in paintings: An historical study. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 2001. 25: 63\u201373.<\/p>\n Costa, M., & Ricci Bitti, P. E. Face-ism effect and head canting in one\u2019s own and others\u2019 photographs. European Psychologist. 2000. 5: 293\u2013301.<\/p>\n Colonnesi, Cristina; Susan M. Bogels; Wieke de Vente and Mirjana Majdandzic. What Coy Smiles Say About Positive Shyness in Early Infancy. Infancy. 2013. 18(2): 202\u2013220. ISSN: 1525-0008 print \/ 1532-7078 online The Nonverbal Meaning Of Coy Smiles In Infants<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\nDOI: 10.1111\/j.1532-7078.2012.00117.x<\/p>\n