Conveying rejection .............................................................................
The head shake is the most common way to express a negative reaction.
Infants rejecting the breast, bottle, or a spoonful of food turn their heads
rapidly from side to side. Anthropologists believe that for adults, the action
of turning the head horizontally from left to right with equal emphasis on
each side to express rejection, stems from our earliest days.The head shake has two speeds of delivery:Fast:If the listener shakes her head rapidly she’s saying that she dis-
agrees and wants to take over the speaker’s role.
Slow:A slow back and forth sideways turning indicates the listener’s
incredulity at what she’s just heard. The slow shake implies that the
listener is comfortable in her position and doesn’t want to take over
from the speaker.Figure 3-2:
A forward
tilting
forehead
implies a
critical
attitude.
Chapter 3: Heading to the Heart of the Matter 49