A few degrees of head tilt change how the same face is read: down reads as dominant, up as proud or superior, level as neither.
Down
- A neutral face tilted down 10° was rated far more dominant than the same face held level, because the tilt makes level brows look lowered and V-shaped (Witkower & Tracy 2019). In a small-scale society in Nicaragua, most people picked the tilted face as the more dominant (Witkower et al. 2022). With the brows hidden, the effect vanished (Witkower & Tracy 2019).
- Only with the eyes on the viewer. With the eyes down, the same tilt reads as submissive and ashamed (Toscano, Schubert & Giessner 2018; Mignault & Chaudhuri 2003).
- It costs trust: a chin 10° down cut trust ratings, while 10° up left them unchanged (Torrance et al. 2020).
Up
- A chin 10° up already raised perceived dominance (Witkower & Tracy 2019), and a tilt of about 15° was recognised as pride better than 30° (Tracy & Robins 2004).
- With a small smile it reads as pride and earned status; without one, as superior and contemptuous (Tracy & Robins 2007; Witkower et al. 2020; Mignault & Chaudhuri 2003).
Level
Level faces were rated best or equal as leaders (Torrance et al. 2020). Most looks in How I Land keep the chin within 5° of level.
The camera changes the angle
What counts is the angle against the line from your face to the lens. A laptop on a desk looks up at you, which is the same as raising your chin; a phone held high looks down at you, the same as lowering it. Put the lens at eye height.
Which angle for which look
- Level, within 5°: approachable, open, competent, trustworthy, calm, alert, mysterious.
- From 5° down to 10° up: happy.
- 10° to 20° up, aiming for 15°: confident.
- 8° to 15° down, aiming for 10°: intimidating.
Measure yours
How I Land measures your chin angle in degrees against the lens and tells you the difference: “Chin up 4°”.
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