Reading Facial Expressions as a Channel of Non-Verbal Communication
When we think of body language, typically some of the first things that come to our minds are physical motions, hand gestures, and posture. However, one of the most important and easy-to-read forms of body language are our facial expressions. Our face can show varying degrees of a range of emotion, anything from pure bliss to seething rage can be seen in a flash of expression; the furrowing of our eyebrows, gritting of our teeth, smiling broadly, and the widening or squinting of our eyes are all facial movements that express our emotions nonverbally to the outside world.
What are the Primary Emotions Shown Through Facial Expressions?
Through facial expressions, we know that we can communicate a variety emotion. But the prevalent questions at hand are what, exactly, are the emotions that can be shown on the face? How much information can be drawn from a facial expression by itself? We know that we can communicate emotions such as happiness or anger, but can we convey more complex emotions through the face, such as shame, anxiety, or boredom?
These questions were the primary focus of Aron W. Siegman and Stanley Feldstein, professors at the University of Maryland who quite literally wrote the book on Nonverbal Behavior and Communication in 1978. In the chapter on facial expression, the authors argue that while some expressions may be universally recognizable among all cultures in the world (i.e., happiness or sadness), other emotions may not fall in that same boat. For example, Aron W. Siegman and Stanley Feldstein wrote, “(An investigator) might find, for example, that 80% of the observers agree in describing a particular face with the word “afraid”. They might not agree about a word to describe some other face; for example, a face called ‘disinterest’ by some observers might be called other emotions by other observers. On the basis of such results, the investigator reaches a conclusion about which emotions the face can convey. The six emotions that are the subject of this chapter-happiness, sadness, surprise, fear, anger, and disgust, were found by every investigator in the last 30 years who sought to determine what emotions can be shown by facial expressions… there are probably other emotions conveyed by the face-shame, interest, and excitement, for example, but these have not yet been as firmly established.” (1978)
In other words, there are some facial expressions that are, more or less, universally recognized among different global cultures, whereas other expressions are left up to debate. This is due to varying interpretations of which emotions correlate with which facial expressions. By conducting research under this logic, the findings were that there are six primary emotions which can be non-verbally communicated through facial expressions that are agreed upon universally through cultures all around the world. These six emotions are:
· Happiness
· Sadness
· Surprise
· Fear
· Anger
· Disgust
While there are other emotions which can arguably be communicated via facial expressions and gestures, these are the ones which are considered to be universally accepted and have been backed up with empirical evidence through research conducted in the past thirty years prior to this text’s publication (from ~1948 to 1978). What this shows us is that we can accurately read and interpret these six emotions based on the facial expressions of just about anybody. When someone is smiling with their teeth showing and their cheeks slightly raise, we know that person is exhibiting happiness. Similarly, when someone is pouting or frowning with their eyebrows retracted, we know that this person is expressing signs of sadness. With emotions outside of the primary six, it can become more difficult to identify universal indicators. The elements of a facial expression exhibiting anxiety or stress can vary greatly from one individual to the next, and therefore it can be harder to read these emotions based on facial expression alone.
The next time that you’re intending to approach someone, people-watching, or even having a conversation with your friends or family, make an effort keep these six emotions in mind and try to see if you can read their emotions based on their facial expression. This is a surefire way to practice sharpening your kinesics skills and become a more fluent reader of body language communication.
References:
Siegman, A.W., and Feldstein, S. (1978) Nonverbal behavior and communication. Hillsdale, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates
