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Photographs from the 1862 book Mécanisme de la Physionomie Humaine by Guillaume Duchenne. Through electric stimulation, Duchenne determined which muscles were responsible for different facial expressions. Charles Darwin would later republish some of these photographs in his own work on the subject, which compared facial expressions in humans to those in animals.
Photographs from the 1862 book Mécanisme de la Physionomie Humaine by Guillaume Duchenne. Guillaume Benjamin Amand Duchenne (born September 17, 1806 in Boulogne; died September 15, 1875) was a French Neurologist Through electric stimulation, Duchenne determined which muscles were responsible for different facial expressions. Charles Darwin would later republish some of these photographs in his own work on the subject, which compared facial expressions in humans to those in animals. Charles Robert Darwin (February 12 1809 &ndash April 19 1882 was an English naturalist, who realised and demonstrated that all Species of life

A facial expression results from one or more motions or positions of the muscles of the face. Muscle (from Latin musculus, diminutive of mus "mouse" is contractile tissue of the body and is derived from the The term face refers to the central sense organ complex for those animals that have one normally on the ventral surface of the head and can depending on the definition These movements convey the emotional state of the individual to observers. An emotion is a mental and physiological state associated with a wide variety of feelings thoughts and behaviours Facial expressions are a form of nonverbal communication. Nonverbal communication (NVC is usually understood as the process of Communication through sending and receiving Wordless messages They are a primary means of conveying social information among humans, but also occur in most other mammals and some other animal species. Human beings, humans or man (Origin 1590–1600 L homō man OL hemō the earthly one (see Humus Mammals ( class Mammalia) are a class of Vertebrate Animals characterized by the presence of Sweat glands, including sweat glands In Biology, a species is one of the basic units of Biological classification and a Taxonomic rank.

Humans can adopt a facial expression as a voluntary action. A voluntary action is one that is produced because of conscious choice of the organism However, because expressions are closely tied to emotion, they are more often involuntary. It can be nearly impossible to avoid expressions for certain emotions, even when it would be strongly desirable to do so; a person who is trying to avoid insult to an individual he or she finds highly unattractive might nevertheless show a brief expression of disgust before being able to reassume a neutral expression. Disgust is an Emotion that is typically associated with things that are perceived as Unclean, Inedible, or Infectious. The close link between emotion and expression can also work in the other direction; it has been observed that voluntarily assuming an expression can actually cause the associated emotion.

Some expressions can be accurately interpreted even between members of different species- anger and extreme contentment being the primary examples. Anger is an emotional state that may range from minor irritation to intense rage Contentment refers to the neuro-physiological experience of satisfaction and being at ease in one's situation Bodymind (cf Others, however, are difficult to interpret even in familiar individuals. For instance, disgust and fear can be tough to tell apart. Disgust is an Emotion that is typically associated with things that are perceived as Unclean, Inedible, or Infectious. Fear is an Emotional response to Threats and Danger. It is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific Stimulus, such as

Because faces have only a limited range of movement, expressions rely upon fairly minuscule differences in the proportion and relative position of facial features, and reading them requires considerable sensitivity to same. Some faces are often falsely read as expressing some emotion, even when they are neutral, because their proportions naturally resemble those another face would temporarily assume when emoting.

Contents

Universality

Charles Darwin noted in his book The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals:

. Charles Robert Darwin (February 12 1809 &ndash April 19 1882 was an English naturalist, who realised and demonstrated that all Species of life The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals is a book by the British naturalist Charles Darwin published in 1872, on how Humans . . the young and the old of widely different races, both with man and animals, express the same state of mind by the same movements.

Still, up to the mid-20th century most anthropologists believed that facial expressions were entirely learned and could therefore differ among cultures. Anthropology (/ˌænθɹəˈpɒlədʒi/ from Greek grc ἄνθρωπος anthrōpos, "human" -λογία -logia) is the study of Studies eventually supported Darwin's belief to a large degree, particularly for expressions of anger, sadness, fear, surprise, disgust, contempt, happiness and caring.

The people of New Guinea called South Fore were chosen as subjects for one such survey. New Guinea, located just north of Australia, is the world's second largest island, having become separated from the Australian mainland when the area now known The study consisted of 189 adults and 130 children from among a very isolated population, as well as twenty three members of the culture who lived a less isolated lifestyle as a control group. Scientific controls allow Experiments to study one Variable at a time and are a vital part of the Scientific method. Participants were told a story that described one particular emotion; they were then shown three pictures (two for children) of facial expressions and asked to match the picture which expressed the story's emotion.

While the isolated South Fore people could identify emotions with the same accuracy as the non-isolated control group, problems associated with the study include the fact that both fear and surprise were constantly misidentified. The study concluded that certain facial expressions correspond to particular emotions, regardless of cultural background, and regardless of whether or not the culture has been isolated or exposed to the mainstream. Mainstream is generally the common current of Thought of the Majority.

Communication

See also: Eye contact

A person's face, especially their eyes, creates the most obvious and immediate cues that lead to the formation of impressions. Eye contact is an event in which two people look at each other's Eyes at the same time [1] This article discusses eyes and facial expressions and the effect they have on interpersonal communication. Interpersonal communication is defined by communication scholars in numerous ways though most involve participants who are interdependent on one another have a shared history

A person's eyes reveal much about how they are feeling, or what they are thinking. Blink rate can reveal how nervous or at ease a person may be. Research by Boston College professor Joe Tecce suggests that stress levels are revealed by blink rates. For similarly-named academic institutions see Education in Boston MA. He supports his data with statistics on the relation between the blink rates of presidential candidates and their success in their races. Tecce claims that the faster blinker in the presidential debates has lost every election since 1980. [2] Though Tecce's data is interesting, it is important to recognize that non-verbal communication is multi-channeled, and focusing on only one aspect is reckless. Nonverbal communication (NVC is usually understood as the process of Communication through sending and receiving Wordless messages Nervousness can also be measured by examining each candidates' perspiration, eye contact and stiffness. [3]

Eye contact is another major aspect of facial communication. Some have hypothesized that this is due to infancy, as humans are one of the few mammals who maintain regular eye contact with their mother while nursing. [4] Eye contact serves a variety of purposes. It regulates conversations, shows interest or involvement, and establishes a connection with others.

Eye contact regulates conversational turn taking, communicates involvement and interest, manifests warmth, and establishes connections with others…[and it can command attention, be flirtatious, or seem cold and intimidating… [it] invites conversation. Lack of eye contact is usually perceived to be rude or inattentive. [5]

But different cultures have different rules for eye contact. Certain Asian cultures can perceive direct eye contact as a way to signal competitiveness, which in many situations may prove to be inappropriate. Others lower their eyes to signal respect, but in western cultures this could be misinterpretted as lacking self-confidence.

Even beyond the idea of eye contact, our eyes communicate more data than we even consciously express. Pupil dilation is a significant cue to a level of excitement, pleasure, or attraction. Pupillary response or dilation of the pupil is a physiological response that varies the size of the Pupil of the eye via the Iris dilator muscle. Dilated pupils indicate greater affection or attraction, while constricted pupils send a colder signal.

The face as a whole indicates much about our moods as well. Specific emotional states, such as happiness or sadness, are expressed through a smile or a frown, respectively. There are seven universally recognized emotions shown through facial expressions: fear, anger, surprise, contempt, disgust, happiness, and sadness. Regardless of culture, these expressions are the same. However, the same emotion from a specific facial expression may be recognized by a culture, but the same intensity of emotion may not be perceived. For example, studies have shown that Asian cultures tend to rate images of facial emotions as less intense than non-Asian cultures surveyed. This difference can be explained by display rules, which are culture-specific guidelines for behavior appropriateness. In some countries, it may be more rude to display an emotion than in another. Showing anger toward another member in a group may create problems and disharmony, but if displayed towards a competitive rival, it could create in-group cohesion.

Facial expressions

Some examples of feelings that can be expressed are:

The muscles of facial expression

See also: facial muscles. Anger is an emotional state that may range from minor irritation to intense rage Attention is the Cognitive process of selectively concentrating on one aspect of the environment while ignoring other things Contempt is an intense feeling or attitude of regarding someone or something as inferior base or worthless—it is similar to scorn Disgust is an Emotion that is typically associated with things that are perceived as Unclean, Inedible, or Infectious. Fear is an Emotional response to Threats and Danger. It is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific Stimulus, such as Happiness is an Emotion associated with feelings ranging from contentment and satisfaction to Bliss and intense Joy. Confusion, of a Pathological degree usually refers to loss of orientation (ability to place oneself correctly in the world by time location and personal identity and Sadness is an Emotion characterized by Feelings of disadvantage loss and helplessness Surprise is a brief emotional state that is the result of experiencing an unexpected relevant event The facial muscles are a group of striated muscles innervated by the Facial nerve that among other things control facial expression

References

  1. ^ Freitas-Magalhães, A. The Auriculares muscles are the three Muscles surrounding the Auricula or outer ear Anterior auricular muscle The buccinator is a thin quadrilateral muscle occupying the interval between the Maxilla and the Mandible at the side of the face The Corrugator supercilii is a small narrow pyramidal muscle placed at the medial end of the Eyebrow, beneath the Frontalis and Orbicularis oculi. The Depressor anguli oris ( Triangularis) arises from the oblique line of the Mandible, whence its fibers converge to be inserted by a narrow fasciculus into the The depressor labii inferioris (or quadratus labii inferioris) is a Facial muscle that helps lower the Bottom lip. The Depressor septi (Depressor alœ nasi arises from the Incisive fossa of the Maxilla. The Frontalis Muscle is thin of a quadrilateral form and intimately adherent to the Superficial fascia. The levator anguli oris ( caninus) is a facial Muscle of the Mouth arising from the Canine fossa, immediately below the Infraorbital The levator labii superioris (or quadratus labii superioris) is a broad sheet the origin of which extends from the side of the Nose to the Zygomatic bone The levator labii superioris alaeque nasi muscle is translated from Latin, the "lifter of the Upper lip and of the Wing of the nose The Mentalis is situated at the tip of the Chin. It raises and pushes up the lower lip causing wrinkling of the chin as in doubt or displeasure In facial anatomy the modiolus is a Chiasma of facial muscles held together by fibrous tissue located lateral and slightly superior to each angle of the mouth The nasalis ( compressor naris) is a Sphincter -like muscle of the nose whose function is to compress the Nasal cartilage. The orbicularis oculi is a muscle in the face that closes the Eyelids. In Human anatomy, the orbicularis oris muscle is the Sphincter muscle around the Mouth. Platysma is also a plant taxon synonym with Podochilus, an orchid genus The Procerus is a small pyramidal slip of muscle deep to the Superior orbital nerve, artery and vein. The risorius arises in the fascia over the Parotid gland and passing horizontally forward superficial to the Platysma, inserts onto the skin at the angle of the The Zygomatic major is a Muscle of the Human body. It is a Muscle of facial expression which draws the angle of the mouth superiorly and posteriorly The zygomaticus minor is a Muscle of facial expression It originates on the Zygomatic bone and then inserts on the upper lip (2007). The Psychology of Emotions: The Allure of Human Face. Oporto: University Fernando Pessoa Press
  2. ^ “In the blink of an eye. ” (1996, October 21). Newsweek.
  3. ^ Rothwell, J. Dan. In the Company of Others: An Introduction to Communication. United States: McGraw-Hill, 2004.
  4. ^ Spitz, Rene A. , and Wolf, K. M. “The Smiling Response: A Contribution to the Ontogenesis of Social Relations. ” Genetic Psychology Monographs. 34 (August 1946). P. 57-125.
  5. ^ Rothwell, J. Dan. In the Company of Others: An Introduction to Communication. United States: McGraw-Hill, 2004.

See also

External links

Dictionary

facial expression

-noun

  1. The expression on a person's face, resulting from specific use of the facial muscles
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