Monday, April 28, 2008
What's in a smile?

Interestingly enough I am not as good at spotting a fake smile as I thought I would be. To me the eyes tell a great story and I thought by looking at their eyes I would know whether or not their smile was genuine or fake.

Take the short quiz and see if you can spot the fake smiles.

My score was 16 out of 20.

According to research, smiling affects how we speak, to the point that listeners can identify the type of smile based on sound alone, according to a study by scientists at the University of Portsmouth. I can see, or hear, how this might be true. Happier people definitely do sound different than somber people. But if you can't hear the person and you can only see them would you know whether or not their smile is sincere? I thought it would be a piece of cake. I was sure I am intuitive enough to know the difference, but I ended up getting some wrong.

Also a fun smiling fact is in regards to gender. It is true women smile more than men, but the difference isn't large; it is modest. However, it is also true the difference is more distinct when women and men think they are being watched. Women will smile more if they think their behavior is being watched. Whereas men will smile less. Interesting.

In addition, when people are tense or uncomfortable men will scowl where as women will try and restore harmony to the environment with a smile. I suppose the gender difference here is how women tend to do "emotional work" more than men when in stressful situations.

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7:43 AM
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