Monday, January 10, 2011

Female Eye Roll

I have read that the female eye roll is a particular non verbal communication that apparently cannot be replicated by men. Parker in 2002 showed that the eye roll was indicative predictive of divorce. This was also noted by Gottman. Interestingly it's been considered as representative of 'disdain', one of the most violent of non physical communications. In one study men subjected to eye rolls by their spouse had a blood pressure increase of 10 to 20 millibars suggesting that this behaviour could actually have lethal consequences in older men with hypertension and heart conditions. Indeed, the female eye roll is thought to be part of the "evil eye" curse used by the black arts practitioners.
In Transactional Analysis the eye roll is not an adult or child behaviour but rather a parental communication as in parent and child and might well be associated with the early maternal discipline non verbal behaviour of 'raised eye brow".
The significance of non verbal aggressive behaviour is that it carries the 'deniability" so falls in the context of covert and passive aggression. However "neglect" also falls into this category and has as much potential to kill slowly and tortuously as active or overt aggression can destroy swiftly.


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