Sunday, August 30, 2009

READING FACIAL EXPRESSIONS

More arguments against those who think in the one-size-fits-all mentality. Facial expressions differ as to what they mean and how they are read throughout cultures. Western people tend to look at the whole face, while Eastern cultures tend to look at only the eyes.

Recently a study concluded that to show or hide our facial expressions is hard-wired into our genes. One clue is that blind athletes made the same expressions as the sighted when they won or lost. The researchers believe they may be remnants of evolutionary history.

Research further suggests: "You can alter your attraction to the opposite sex simply by looking straight at them and smiling. A study of hundreds of volunteers at Stirling and Aberdeen Universities found averting the eyes even a fraction can make you appear less attractive."

Another study shows the mob mentality. Women find men more attractive if other women are looking at them. "Previous research indicated that facial attractiveness was based on personal taste and types of person. But Aberdeen University's Face Research Laboratory found facial expressions of others could influence attractiveness.

In the study, women were shown photographs of pairs of men who were roughly matched looks-wise and asked which they preferred. Dr Ben Jones, who led the project, said: "We found that a woman smiling at a guy increased another woman's preference for him, even if she had no preference for either at first.

"It is really the first time that a phenomenon called social learning - where we learn by what other people think or do - has been shown to influence attractiveness.

"You tend to think about attractiveness being a decision of personal taste but this shows that people are influenced to a great extent by what others think of individuals as opposed to what they think about them themselves."

The research is published in the Royal Society's Biological Sciences journal. "

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