| Copyright (c) 2007 SharpBrains | | | | in cultures everywhere, from modern to stone |
| Concealed emotions, also called facial | | | | age, agreed on the emotion behind the |
| "microexpressions", are the fleeting expressions | | | | expression. He then turned to studying the |
| that, believe it or not, you make when consciously | | | | production of these expressions and the 43 facial |
| or unconsciously trying to hide your true | | | | muscles that can create 10,000 expressions, |
| emotions. In conscious microexpressions you may | | | | which form the basis of his training. |
| be trying to lie, while with unconscious | | | | He found seven universal emotions with unique |
| expressions, you may not even be aware of | | | | facial expression. The emotions are: anger, fear, |
| what they are truly feeling. | | | | sadness, disgust, happiness, surprise, and |
| Paul Ekman, Ph.D. has made a study of these | | | | contempt. At least five of these are shared with |
| microexpressions. According to Ekman, "These | | | | non-human primates as well. Interestingly, the |
| expressions tend to be very extreme and very | | | | smile is the easiest expression to recognize, and |
| fast. Eighty to 90 percent of people we tested | | | | the easiest to identify from afar. These emotions |
| don't see them." | | | | have a specific trigger, come quickly without |
| Ekman was a Professor of Psychology in the | | | | thought, and interact with your physiology - |
| Department of Psychiatry at the University of | | | | meaning merely making the fear expression will |
| California at San Francisco for 32 years. His original | | | | create a fear response in your body as well. With |
| focus was on "nonverbal" behavior, and by the | | | | fear, neurons will signal your body to prepare to |
| mid-60s, he concentrated on the expression and | | | | flee by sending blood to the large voluntary |
| physiology of emotion. He has developed a | | | | muscles in your legs. In anger, on the other hand, |
| secondary interest in interpersonal deception as | | | | your brain signals your body to fight by sending |
| well. Perhaps his most famous publication is the | | | | blood to your hands. Try practicing on yourself: |
| The Facial Action Coding System (FACS) which is | | | | can you feel a change in your emotional state by |
| used by law enforcement and intelligence agencies | | | | making changes in your facial expression? |
| everywhere, as well as parents and therapists | | | | Emotions have distinct triggers and learning those |
| who want to be able to understand people around | | | | triggers is an important step in understanding your |
| them better. | | | | own emotions and why you respond the way |
| "With my children, spouse, friends and work | | | | you do. To date, the best way to learn to |
| associates, if I don't understand how they're | | | | recognize the the impulse that was triggered |
| feeling either about me or about (things) that | | | | before the awareness of the emotion is |
| may have nothing to do with me when we | | | | contemplative practice (meditation). Also, an |
| interact then I'm not going to have a very | | | | important point to clarify, emotions are not |
| useful exchange with them," Ekman said. | | | | moods, which are longer affective experiences |
| He has conducted extensive research on | | | | have an unclear trigger (you may not be sure |
| identifying emotions through facial expressions. As | | | | what sparked the mood you're in) and tend to |
| part of that research, and as part of the power | | | | filter your view of the environment. |
| of discipline and training, he learned how to | | | | Based on primary and secondary research, he |
| consciously manipulate 42 facial muscles, including | | | | found that there are seven emotions expressed |
| many that in most of us are beyond our control, | | | | in the face in universally consistent ways: |
| and even awareness. | | | | Sadness, Anger, Surprise, Fear, Enjoyment, |
| In the 60s and 70s when Ekman began looking | | | | Disgust, Contempt. |
| into the universality of facial expressions, all the | | | | Even more interesting: according to his research, |
| major contemporary social scientists, like | | | | feelings and facial expressions influence each |
| Margaret Mead, believed that expressions were | | | | other. This is, not only a sad person will naturally |
| culturally learned, not innate. He proceeded | | | | look sad, but a person who intentionally smiles will |
| traveled all over the world with pictures of people | | | | feel more content than a person who doesn't. |
| making distinct facial expressions and found people | | | | Now, would you please smile ... |