Decoding facial expressions is key to understanding nonverbal communication. Researchers, such as Dr Paul Ekman (whose work was featured on TV series “Lie to Me”) have studied this aspect of body language extensively.
He established seven universal microexpressions to represent emotions like disgust, anger, fear, sadness, happiness surprise and contempt.
Basic Expressions
According to Paul Ekman, whose research forms the foundation of the popular TV show Lie to Me, there are six basic expressions of emotion: Joy, Surprise, Sadness, Anger, Disgust and Fear. Each can vary in intensity but are usually an indicator of someone’s state.
Facial expressions are universal signals, recognized across cultures and language groups. People in the US can recognize facial expressions from those living in Papua New Guinea without access to television or movies as indicators of sadness; similarly congenitally blind individuals also make identical faces when experiencing certain emotions such as fear.
Question 1: How Does the Brain Decode Basic Expression Signals? If facial evolution has optimized transmission of these cues, then our brain should recognize them quickly and efficiently. Previous studies have discovered specific brain regions like FST/FFA are involved with facial expression recognition; however their role remains largely undetermined and performance tests using other modalities (videos/images) has not been conducted to compare them against each other.
At our lab, our goal was to characterize and evaluate the neural information necessary for recognising six basic facial expressions and assess their decoding performance in static and dynamic facial images and videos. To accomplish this task, MVPA, which provides a way to decode neural activity triggered by facial expressions across brain regions was employed; additionally we examined how physical intensity changes might influence perception and decoding accuracy.
Microexpressions
Paul Ekman’s study on facial expressions developed a system to categorize its various movements. Over time, these movements were organized into seven universally understood emotions; happiness, sadness, anger, disgust, fear surprise and contempt are the key ones. Since these microexpressions only last between one twentieth and fifty-fifth of a second it may take training before one can detect them reliably.
People trying to conceal emotions may experience “leakage.” This occurs when their true emotion emerges briefly and is revealed through macroexpressions that last longer than microexpressions; however, even this type of macroexpressions may still be misleading as an attempt at hiding may result in more authentic fake facial expressions than genuine ones.
Even though there are over 6,500 different languages spoken across the world, most cultures share common gestures and facial expressions when communicating emotion. Anger can be easily recognized with lower eyebrows, wrinkled forehead, tightened jaw and eyes as well as raised arms; conversely surprise can be communicated via smiling, relaxed lips and wide-opening eyes that open wider than usual.
Noting these expressions as part of an individual’s body language – including posture and eye movement – is essential to understanding their emotional state in its entirety.
While many law enforcement officials and the general public believe they can identify someone’s lie by looking for microexpressions, there is no scientific proof for this claim. Studies have actually demonstrated that expressions occur equally often among truth-tellers and liars.
Good news is that it is possible to learn to decode facial expressions with proper instruction and practice. Most decoding facial expressions training programs begin by familiarizing students with each expression through descriptions and still images before transitioning them into moving videos in order to train students how to recognize them real time. Furthermore, the best training programs include body language as a component to ensure students learn all forms of nonverbal communication.
Context
Context refers to all the details surrounding an event which give it meaning and significance, such as in semiotics, linguistics and sociology. When studying communication it can play an essential role.
Example: Someone saying they dislike something might sound angry to some listeners; but in front of their family and friends it could simply mean that they disliked what they were eating.
Decoding of expression and identity in the brain has been shown to depend on context. For instance, when speaking in public speaking situations they might rush their words more quickly due to nerves about an audience than when speaking among friends; this shifts how others interpret their emotions and intentions.
Anger can be expressed through multiple facial expressions. While typical expressions include furrowed brows and tightened lips, other reactions include wide-eyed expressions of shock or disgust and frowning. A frown can also indicate anger.
To help students learn facial expressions, integrate discussion of them into classroom activities. For instance, having students describe an angry historical figure’s expression can help them better comprehend how they felt. Furthermore, role-playing exercises allow students to practice empathy and perspective-taking skills as well as strengthen empathy and perspective taking abilities. You could even utilize educational apps or online resources with facial recognition games and videos designed specifically to assist your teaching on facial expressions.
Emotions
Eyes are windows to the soul, revealing much about what someone is feeling. Facial expression reading is an invaluable skill both interpersonally and professionally, enabling you to better understand coworkers, clients and customers leading to improved collaboration and communication; or spot red flags like when words don’t match emotions.
Keep in mind that just because someone is smiling doesn’t mean they are content; smiles may mask feelings such as sadness, fear or anger. Pay attention to all aspects of their face – eyebrows often rise or fall to show tension or disapproval; lips may curl into a sneer; jaw tightens to show disgust or anger.
One way to enhance your ability to decode faces is to practice in front of a mirror. Mimic each basic expression and observe what effect they have on your own facial muscles – this will help familiarize yourself with their various forms. Video recordings featuring people showing various expressions is another fantastic way of practicing facial recognition; be sure to select videos with both static and dynamic facial movements for optimal results and cover a range of emotions.
Researchers have discovered that several brain regions are involved in facial expression recognition, although not necessarily located within one region. There are various theories for why this might be so. One theory suggests that faces emit multiple signals which are then processed by multiple regions to identify emotion – this may help explain why some expressions may be easier than others to decode.
Other theories suggest that facial expressions transmit specific emotional information rather than simply categorical categorizations, explaining why some expressions are easier than others to decode. Recently, researchers conducted multi-voxel pattern analysis to see whether expression information could be extracted from distributed patterns of activity generated in brain’s face-selective and motion-sensitive areas.