Your Words Can Lie, but Your Face Can't--Micro-Expressions

I've referenced "Lie to Me" time and time again, and this entry will talk about some of the details of Dr. Paul Ekman's study on micro-expressions. Yes, the science behind the show is largely accurate, albeit slightly exaggerated (for the sake of entertainment, of course).

In short, when you look for micro-expressions you look for the split-second reaction of all the tiny muscle movements in the face. Looking for these signals will primarily give you honest information of a person who is deliberately trying to hide their emotions--acting "cool."

As with reading all nonverbal cues, being able to identify just one signal doesn't automatically mean your assumptions are correct. Be very careful and sure before you accuse someone of dishonesty!

The Basics

Looking at the eyes:

• Where are they looking? A fixed gaze generally indicates emotions that deal with interpersonal reactions, including positive feelings like happiness and negative feelings like anger, contempt, and guilt. Emotions like surprise and sadness don't usually fix the eye on any particular subject.
• How do the ocular muscles look? If the eyes seem to be closing while fixed on the subject, it indicates a strong negative emotion like disgust--the brain doesn't like what it sees so it attempts to shut the image out. Eyes widening can indicate a pleasurable reaction, such as a "happy surprise" or excitement.
• Deciphering a real smile. A smile is easy to fake in the professional world. It's a sign of openness and marginal respect. How can you tell the fake smiles from the real? Look for crows feet, or a small cluster of wrinkles that happen on the side of your eyes when you give an honest smile (easily observable when you say or hear a hilarious joke). Be careful with this one, however, because this little expression is easy to fake once you're aware!

 Looking at the mouth and nose:

• As negative and aggressive emotions get stronger (such as anger), you can observe that the mouth appears smaller and smaller. Lips get pursed and narrowed before they make the "frown," and you'll see less of their lips as the person get angrier. What you really want to watch out for, however, is when they show their teeth. If teeth follow a serious display of anger, this means they are ready to physically attack. A visual signal that predicts a specific action is called an intention cue, and being able to read these will greatly help you deal with aggression.
• Both sides of the lips rising, of course, is generally an indication of positive emotion or at least a neutral one. 
• Negative emotions that aren't aggressive, which are usually temporary dispositions like disgust, can make the nose crinkle up. This works very much like the eyes narrowing--minimizing the sensory input from the displeasing subject. The next time you hear a really gross and unfunny joke, pay attention to what your nose does. You may not be able to smell the joke, but your brain doesn't want to risk that chance.
• A half smile (seen more often than you think) is often indicative of arrogance. A lip corner raised and tightened on only one side of the mouth is a telltale sign of contempt, usually paired with a small eye-crinkle on the same side. Lets say you do really well on a test in a class your friend has some trouble in. If he gives you the half-smile, you can go ahead and assume he's jealous.

Aren't there more emotions?

Yes there are, but once you learn the basic technique to decoding what you see, deciphering other emotions become much simpler. Start with the basic happiness, anger, and disgust. Those three are around you in abundance and you'll have little trouble instigating them for a bit of practice. Just keep practicing and you'll naturally pick up how to read the other ones.

Terms to remember:

Intention cue


Navarro, J. (2008). What Every BODY Is Saying: An Ex-FBI Agent's Guide to Speed-Reading People. New York: Harper Collins.


O'Sullivan, M. (2009, April 17). Micro Expression and a Good Liar. Psychology Today. Retrieved November 28, 2011, from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/deception/200904/micro-expressions-and-good-liar

Uncredited (2011, March 29th). Microexpressions - A Key to Studying Human Behavior. Social Engineering. Retrieved November 28th, 2011, from http://www.social-engineer.org/interesting-se-articles/microexpressions-a-key-to-studying-human-behavior/


Uncredited. Micro Expressions Introduction. Global Emotion. Retrieved November 28, 2011, from http://www.globalemotion.de/micro-expressions-einfuehrung.html

University at Buffalo (2006, May 5). Lying Is Exposed By Micro-expressions We Can't Control. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 28, 2011, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2006/05/060505161952.htm

Wilson, S. (2009, March 6). Paul Ekman, the master of micro-expressions. The Guardian. Retrieved November 28, 2011, from http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/mar/07/micro-facial-expressions-poker-face