People-Watching as an Art for Authors – Pt.7

Part Seven: Expressive Movements and Facial Expressions

Expressive Movements. Moving closer to our target, we come to a most significant aspect of his being that is still directly observable. It concerns the distinctive ways a person expresses himself: not what he does or says, but how he does it or says it. The ways a person projects his individuality have been called, in sum, expressive movements, and they include:

• facial expression

• pose

• posture

• gestures

• handshake

• gait

• voice and

• speech, and certain nervous or symbolic use of body parts.

Facial Expressions. Expressive movements in the face are easily observable. There are several objective features that should be noted, such as:

• wrinkles

• speed of muscle reactions in changing expressions

• regularity or asymmetry of muscle contractions

• predominance of any one feature in facial activity

• fixed expressions according to specific circumstances.

Inferences that may be drawn from facial expressions are numerous but they are difficult to verbalize, because one tends to read more into the face than may be there. All such inferences need to be substantiated by other behavioral indicators.

The face can indicate mood or temperament, but to read these expressions accurately previous experience with the individual usually is required. A face may be “flushed with anger” or “gray with fear,” but most reactions are more subtle than this. Constant frowning or wrinkling of the brow may indicate poor eyesight or a nervous habit. It may also signal an attempt to concentrate or to attend more carefully. It could mean that the individual is perplexed.

Some persons assume a rather fixed expression when talking with strangers that will not be seen when they talk with friends. Such a look generally indicates either uneasiness and tension or an effort to be bland and noncommittal.

As mentioned previously, the face may give clues to the state of the individual's health. In connection with health, the face also gives a fair indication of apparent age by such cues as the tightness of skin, wrinkles, and circles under the eyes.

Obviously, the observer should note the aesthetic effect of an individual's face, using such terms as attractive, good-looking, ugly or hideous to describe it. Facial appearance contributes to the individual's acceptance by others, but more importantly, it reflects his self-confidence and self-image. The eyes are among the most important facial features, illuminating the personality and disposition of an individual. There are several terms for describing the appearance of the eyes:

• avoiding

• downcast

• shifting

• sagging lids

• squinting

• staring

• straight forward

• intense

• firm lids

Facial expression also lends itself to more qualitative description, chiefly in the appearance of the eyes and mouth, but also the face in general:

• absent—direct (the cue for this observation is pupil size; a wide pupil having a focus point beyond the confronted person is generally perceived as a vacant or absent look)

• ascetic—sensual

• benevolent— hateful

• expressive— expressionless

• penetrating— shifting

• sad— cheerful

• spiritual-- worldly

• sympathetic

• kindly—hard

• cruel

• sinister

• trusting-- suspicious

As noted above, the terms just mentioned are frequently attributed not only to the appearance of the eyes but to the mouth as well. In a more subjective vein, the mouth may be described by reference to the following terms:

asymmetric cast

drooping corners

twitching

pouting

tight-lipped

pursed

Coming in Part Eight: Pose and Posture