An occupant seat of a motor vehicle includes a backrest, and a headrest mounted atop the backrest on a pair of posts. The headrest includes a base portion supported by the posts, and an occupant-engaging contact portion that is supported by the base portion for relative translational movement along a pair of tracks defined on the base portion. In response to a suitable control signal, such as the tensioning of a Bowden cable in response to an applied force, the contact portion moves under the control of an articulated linkage against a return spring bias and away from the base portion. The translational movement of the contact portion relative to the base portion serves to control contact surface inclination throughout the range of movement of the contact portion relative to the base portion.