Passive, Assertive and Aggressive people can also show different nonverbal reactions within their behaviours as well as the way in which they act, react and talk to others.
|
Passive |
Assertive |
Aggressive |
Body
Movement
|
- Hand wringing
- Hunching shoulders
- Covering Mouth with hands
- Crossing arms for protection
|
- Open hand movements
- Sitting/Standing upright and relaxed
|
- Finger pointing
- First clenching
- Striding around (impatiently)
- Leaning forward or over
- Crossing arms (unapproachable)
|
|
Passive |
Assertive |
Aggressive |
Eye Contact
|
|
- Firm direct eye contact without staring
|
- Trying to stare down and intimidate
|
|
Passive |
Assertive |
Aggressive |
Facial
Expression
|
- 'Ghost' smiles when expressing anger or being criticised
- Raising eyebrows in anticipation
- Jaws trembling, lip biting
- Quick-changing features
|
- Smiling when pleased
- Frowning when angry
- Features steady
- Jaw relaxed
|
- Smiling may become sneering
- Scowling when angry
- Jaws set firm
|
|
Passive |
Assertive |
Aggressive |
Speech
Pattern
|
- Hesitate and filled with pauses
- Sometimes jerking from fast to slow
- Frequent throat clearing
|
- Fluent, few hesitations
- Emphasising key words
- Steady even pace
|
- Fluent, few hesitations
- Often abrupt, clipped
- Emphasising blaming words
- Often fast
|
|
Passive |
Assertive |
Aggressive |
Voice
|
- Often dull and monotonous
- Tone may be singsong or whining
- Over-soft or over-warm
- Quiet, often dropping away
|
- Steady and firm
- Tone is middle range, rich and warm
- Sincere and clear
- Not over-loud or quiet
|
- Very firm
- Tone is sarcastic, sometimes cold and harsh
- Hard and sharp
- Strident, often shouting, rising at end
|