I know some men do this this as well, but I’ve primarily noticed it in women. Is this a learned behavior or a natural human female response across cultures?
I’ve caught myself doing this when on my own watching television! It feels like something I can’t help doing and it generally happens during suspenseful scenes as well as the downright horrific/nasty stuff. I wonder if it’s to do with keeping silent when there might be danger about, reminding oneself to keep quiet instead of crying out…
I doubt that it’s a reminder - the non-conscious brain doesn’t need to remind itself to do anything: it just does it. Could be an instinctive positioning of the arms & legs to protect the primary sense organs and soft underbelly (where all the tasty bits are).
“Saudis bolster security in Mecca” ? I didn’t know their bolsters were under threat.
This is just my WAG, but perhaps it’s because many women have been schooled since birth to control their emotional displays in public.
When faced with an overwhelming emotional situation, the only way a woman may be able to “hide” her response is to cover her face.
Desmond Morris posited that it’s because we are conditioned to touch with our hands to comfort others. When we put our hands to our faces, we’re actually trying to “comfort” ourselves.