Head and Eye Positions

54 – Head Down
When scoring Head Down, disregard other aspects of head position and the eye positions. It may be difficult to score
Head Down without being misled by the eye position. If the eyes are up, the false impression that the head is not down
may be created. Compare 54B in Figure 9-3 with 54B in Figure 9-4. In Figure 9-3 the eyes are straight at the camera,
rather than down with the head as in Figure 9-4. Notice how easy it is to miss the head being down in 54B in Figure 9-3
simply because the eyes counteract the Head Down impression. If the eyes are pointed more down than the head, you can
make the opposite type of mistake, thinking that the head is down when it has not reached the guideline to score Head
Down. It is best to cover the eyes when scoring Head Down so you will not be misled.

Figure 9-4 shows two degrees of Head Down which are not scorable, and two levels of increasing Head Down which are
scorable 54B and 54C. When the head is pointed down as much as 54C, score it as 54C. Score 54E when the head down is
maximum. It is hard to describe in words any single sign for when the head is down sufficiently to score 54. The chin must
be pressed in sufficiently to cause quite considerable “double-chinning”. Note that you must evaluate this against a neutral
example, since some people are permanently double-chinned while others never show a double chin.

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 54 – Head Down

Figure 9-4: Guidelines for Scoring Head Down (54) – eyes down

54B eyes with 54C eyes with

54i unscorable eyes with 54ii unscorable eyes with

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Head and Eye Positions

55 – Head Tilt Left

56 – Head Tilt Right
Again, disregard other aspects of head position and eye position when scoring Head Tilt. In many instances, you must dis-
regard leans or tilts of the shoulders and torso. It is also important not to be misled by a Head Turn or by a deviant vantage
point when scoring Head Tilt.

In order to score a Head Tilt Left or Right, you must be able to establish the midline of the face and torso if the subject
were in a straight and upright position, as illustrated in the neutral position in Figure 9-1. When the subject is standing or
sitting, this line would coincide with the line of gravitational pull. In almost all instances it would also coincide with a per-
pendicular line drawn from the floor or ceiling of a room through the midline of the straight up body of the subject. The
subject's neutral position may not be perfectly upright; no matter, you score 55 or 56 when the head tilt reaches the level
shown in the images.

In Head Tilt the head is cocked to one side or the other. Figure 9-5 shows an example of an unscorable level of Head Tilt,
and two examples of increasing Tilt Right, 56B and 56C. Imagine a clock in front of the face so that 12 o'clock was inter-
sected by a line drawn vertically up from the center of the chin, through the philtrum, and bridge of the nose when the
head was upright in the neutral position. Head Tilt (56B) is scored when that imaginary line intersects either 11 or 1
o'clock. Score 56E when the tilt is maximum. Score 56C or 56D when the tilt is as much as is shown in 56C and less than
maximum.

Note that if the shoulders or torso of the subject were tilted left or right, the head would have to be tilted in the opposite
direction to maintain a neutral or unscorable position. If the Head Tilt was the same as the tilt of the torso and met the
guidelines, then the Head Tilt would be scored as either left or right, even though the midline of the neck and face might
be in a straight line with the midline of the torso.

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Head and Eye Positions

Figure 9-5: Guidelines for Scoring Head Tilt Left (55) or Right (56)

56 unscorable 56B

56C

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 55 – Head Tilt Left 56 – Head Tilt Right

Head movement codes M55 and M56

These codes are actions that are significant when co-occurring with AU 14, and they aid in its interpretation. Other codes
in this group are M61 and M62 on page 343, M83 on page 323, and M68 and M69 on page 321. Note that M55 and M56
are related to codes 55 and 56 in that whereas the latter are positions, M55 and M56 are movements, as indicated by the M
prefix.

A. Appearance Changes due to M55 and M56

1. In M55, the onset of the symmetrical 14 is immediately preceded or accompanied by a head tilt to the left.
2. In M56, the onset of the symmetrical 14 is immediately preceded or accompanied by a head tilt to the right.

Examine the video of M55; M56 is similar, except the tilt is right.

video M55
page 432 for score

B. How to do M55 and M56

To produce M55, follow the instructions for AU 14 on page 148 and tilt your head to the left (scored 14+M55).

To produce M56, follow the instructions for AU 14 on page 148 and tilt your head to the right (scored 14+M56).

C. Intensity Scoring for M55 and M56

Follow the guidelines for scoring the intensity of AUs 55 and 56 above when scoring M55 or M56.

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Head and Eye Positions

57 – Head Forward
58 – Head Back

Fig. 9-6: Guidelines for Head Forward (57) or Back (58)

(Cannot be scored unless head is observed in movement.)

57 58

Measuring head movement forward or back without a profile view of the subject is difficult. When scoring a still photo-
graph, it is very difficult to distinguish Head Back from head pointed down (compare image 58 in Figure 9-6 with 54C in
Figure 9-4). Head Forward is also very difficult to measure from a still photograph. These scores, 57 or 58, are only
intended for use with a motion record.

The no score category for Forward or Back is a broad category, containing the neutral and slight changes from it. To score
Head Forward, you should see the head move markedly forward towards the camera, sufficiently so that the head is mov-
ing somewhat down (not pointed down) as well as forward. Verify how much change this requires by having someone else
move the head forward and note how the head also moves somewhat down as the neck stretches forward.

To score Head Back, you must see the gathering of skin under the chin and it must not be due to the head angling, or nod-
ding, down.

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