Threat postures

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Threat postures or threat display is a type of display behaviour aiming at intimidation of a potential enemy. It may be directed at a rival of the same species (in tournament species), or at a potential threat from a different species. The competitive advantage of threat display lies in overstating one's aggressive potential and thus increasing the chances that the opponent chooses to flee (fight-or-flight response). The opposite strategy is submission, behaviour aiming at understating one's aggressive potential in order to dissuade the opponent from attacking.

Human threat display includes showing one's teeth (snarl, compare smile), inflating one's chest (and other stances enlarging one's silhouette from the point of view from the opponent) and making loud vocal calls (battle cry).

Tattoo withchild.jpg

human threat display (posing)

Snarl2006.JPG

human threat display (snarling)

Allblackhaka.jpg

coordinated human threat display (Haka of the All Blacks)

Triple H Entrance Sequence Melbourne 10.11.2007.jpg

professional wrestler Triple H combining various modes of human threat display: standing in an elevated position, facial expression, expanding of the chest, raising of the arms

Two dogs seems like fighting but are NOT Jan 2008 Shot in Jalandhar Punjab India by gopal1035 003.jpg

two dogs showing threat display in playful mock combat.

GAto.jpg

A cat hissing and arching its back to make itself appear larger.

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See also

• Animal aggressive behavior
• Animal communication
• Animal defensive behavior
• Animal predatory behavior
• Shark threat display
• Fight-or-flight response
• Tend and befriend
• War dance
• Balance of threat
• Non-credible threat
• Nonvebal communication
• Threat
• Victory pose

Additional material

Papers

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