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The Merrill Institute

The Micro Expression of Surprise

July 3, 2019 by Rich Stimbra

The Element of Surprise

By David M. Schneer, Ph.D.

Surprise cuts both ways.

Surprise can be positive and absolutely breathtaking: an unexpected gift, a marriage proposal, bumping into a long-lost friend, a surprise party. Or, surprise can be negative and sometimes deadly; infidelity, an assault, an ambush. Either way, surprise is the micro expression we show when we experience the unexpected.

When we are surprised, we open our eyes to see better and open our mouths to breathe more deeply. Of all the micro expressions, surprise is the shortest in duration. Oftentimes, surprise can be bundled or masked with other micro expressions:

  1. We show surprise when we are fearful.
  2. Surprise can quickly turn to anger when you are attacked or mistreated.
  3. Surprise can also dissolve into disgust when you are thrust into an unsavory situation from which you would like to be removed.
  4. We show surprise when we are presented with a sudden delightful event such as surprise gift or surprise birthday party (although for some, this can be downright terrifying).

Surprise has many variations. A common indication of surprise is when the mouth drops open with relaxed lips. Your eyebrows can also convey surprise when they are raised, untense and coupled with a quick lift of the upper eyelids. My colleagues Kasia and Patryk from the Center for Body Language are showing genuine micro expressions of surprise below.

Cautions

Remember, surprise occurs very quickly.  If the eyelids are raised for a longer period of time, then it is likely fear you’re seeing instead. In addition, someone who raises their upper eyelids briefly can simply be signaling high interest in what they are hearing. Elongated raised eyebrows can also be conversational signal for emphasis.

What to Do When You Encounter Surprise?

To summarize, when you experience the unexpected you will react with surprise. When you encounter expressions of surprise in others, try the following:

  1. To the extent possible, try to figure out what, if anything, you may have said to surprise them. In Human Resources, for example, you might learn very quickly whether your salary offer is well received (surprise coupled with a genuine smile) or not (surprise followed by disgust or anger). Change your offer accordingly.
  2. Change the topic.

The Merrill Institute

Stay tuned to our next blog as we individually analyze the “neutral” micro expression. If you’re a poker player, you won’t want to miss this blog.

Contact The Merrill Institute to learn more about Body Language Training and Micro-Expressions

 

Filed Under: David Schneer, The Merrill Institute Tagged With: blog, body language, David Schneer, Emotion, Micro Expression, Surprise, The Merrill Institute

Do You Know What Contempt Looks Like? You Will After You Read This

June 5, 2019 by Rich Stimbra

Beware of the Lint Picker

By David M. Schneer, Ph.D.

Disgust and contempt are to a relationship what gasoline and matches are to a fire.

In our last blog, we discussed micro expression of disgust. Today we discuss the micro expressions of contempt—disgust’s despicable cousin. Of all the micro expressions, contempt is one of the easier signs to spot but somewhat tricky to define.

What is contempt? Webster’s defines it as “contemning or despising; the feeling with which one regards that which is esteemed mean, vile, or worthless; disdain; scorn.” Contempt can also have a positive spin, as when someone feels superior after having achieved a goal. One scientist claims to be able to measure contemptuousness with a questionnaire, concluding that it is a personality disorder all its own.

Sprinkle a little disgust on “contempt” and a relationship can turn sour fast. In fact, Gottsman’s marital metaphor of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse—criticism, contempt, defensiveness and stonewalling—is used to predict the failure of marriages with high accuracy.[1]

So, how do you spot contempt? It comes in many forms. Ever notice the “Lint Picker”? See below. The one on the left is a good lint picker. The one on the right not so much.

This is the person that picks stuff (lint, hair) off their clothes or cleans or picks their nails/fingers while you’re speaking to them. This is a form of contempt. 

We can convey another form of contempt with our eyes. When we roll our eyes, it conveys disagreement or dislike. If you have children, chances are they have rolled their eyes at you—whether you have seen it or not.

Yet another prevalent form of contempt is when we “crimp” the corners of our mouths. Some folks show contempt with both corners of the mouth crimped, but that is less common.

Rolling eyes and lint pickers are easy to spot, but what about other types of contempt? The two pictures below show a person (my colleague Patryk, from the Center for Body Language) with genuine expressions of contempt. Notice how the corner of the lip curves up. This could be a sign of dislike or superiority.

What to Do When You Encounter Contempt

We see the micro expressions of contempt in the face-to-face research that we conduct—especially in advertising or new product development when respondents see a concept that doesn’t resonate. Contempt in relationships can be extremely difficult to mitigate. When you see signs of contempt, it is a reliable sign of disdain, so try this:

  1. Change the topic to one that is more pleasurable and does not elicit signs of contempt
  2. Seek common ground with the person (sports, music, arts, etc.) that reduces or eliminates their contempt and helps to put you on equal ground with them, if that is even possible.
  3. Use humor to make them smile, if that is possible.
  4. If it’s a really nasty exchange, disengage and head for the hills.

The Merrill Institute

Stay tuned to our next blog as we individually analyze the micro expressions of anger and how to spot signs of it. You’ll be pissed if you miss it.

Contact The Merrill Institute to learn more about Body Language Training and Micro-Expressions

 

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[1] The Four Horsemen: Criticism, Contempt, Defensiveness, and Stonewalling; Ellie Lisitsa//April 23, 2013 https://www.gottman.com/blog/the-four-horsemen-recognizing-criticism-contempt-defensiveness-and-stonewalling/

[3] Excerpt From: Joe Navarro. “The Dictionary of Body Language.” Apple Books. https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-dictionary-of-body-language/id1281489160

Filed Under: News Tagged With: blog, Contempt, David Schneer, emotions, micro expressions, The Merrill Institute

Something is Rotten in the State of Denmark! Or is it in Your Relationship?

May 29, 2019 by Rich Stimbra

How The “Bunny Nose” Can Reveal Relationship Issues

By David M. Schneer, Ph.D.

In Shakespeare’s classic play Hamlet, Act I, Scene 4, the officer Marcellus spies the ghost of Denmark’s late King and utters, “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” The phrase is meant to convey that something is really wrong.

In our last blog, we discussed micro expressions of happiness and the telltale signs of a genuine smile. Today we discuss the micro expression of disgust—a sure sign that something is not quite right.

Disgust. Even the word sounds, well, disgusting. Its Medieval etymological origins emanate from the Middle French word, desgouster, and used as a verb disgust can cause loathing, nausea, or revulsion in a person. Example?  “You disgust me!”

We exhibit disgust as babies. According to Susan Heitler, “A baby who tastes rotten food immediately wrinkles his nose, curls his lips in an expression of disgust, and spits it out.  When someone speaks to you with a tone of contempt, you are likely to feel spit out from that person’s world.” [1]

Disgust and its close relative “contempt” can indicate that something is rotten in your relationship. In fact, Gottman’s marital metaphor of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse—criticism, contempt, defensiveness and stonewalling—are used to predict the failure of the marriage with high accuracy.[3]

While our next blog will focus on contempt (its meaning is often misunderstood), today we will show you how to spot its nauseating next of kin—disgust.

The two pictures below show a person (my colleague Patryk, from the Center for Body Language) with a genuine expression of disgust. In the left-hand picture, you can see his wrinkled nose—a reliable indicator of disgust. In the picture on the right, disgust can take the form of an open mouth. Growing up in my family, we would simply say about Patryk below: “Looks like he ate a plate of [FILL IN THE BANK]!”

What to Do When You Encounter Disgust?

We see the micro expressions of disgust in the research that we conduct—especially in advertising when respondents see an add that doesn’t resonate (literally stinks). When you see signs of disgust, it is a clear sign that something is amiss. Something doesn’t agree with this person. So, serve them something else, so to speak. For example, you can:

  • Seek to find a common ground with the person (sports, music, arts, etc.)
  • Use humor to make them smile
  • Change the topic to one that is pleasurable and does not elicit the bunny nose
  • Understand the person’s expectations about the exchange and adjust your questions and answers accordingly.

The Merrill Institute

Stay tuned to our next blog as we individually analyze the Micro Expressions of contempt—one of the most prominent emotions that can predict the collapse of many types of relationships.

Contact The Merrill Institute to learn more about Body Language Training and Micro-Expressions

[1] Susan Heitler Ph.D. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/resolution-not-conflict/201303/how-contempt-destroys-relationships

[3] The Four Horsemen: Criticism, Contempt, Defensiveness, and Stonewalling; Ellie Lisitsa//April 23, 2013 https://www.gottman.com/blog/the-four-horsemen-recognizing-criticism-contempt-defensiveness-and-stonewalling/

Filed Under: News Tagged With: blog, body language, David Schneer, emotions, micro expressions, The Merrill Institute

The Ghoulish Science Behind Micro Expression Research:

May 7, 2019 by Rich Stimbra

How French Revolution Guillotine Experiments Led to Authentic Smiles

By David M. Schneer, Ph.D.

There is a nasty history and science to facial Micro Expressions that we will be discussing in this post. In later essays, we will cover how to spot and decode non-facial body language positions.

If you have an iron gut, read on, and you’ll discover a powerful technique that can help you communicate more effectively. But first, some definitions are in order.

What are Micro Expressions and Why Should You Study Them?

Micro Expressions are involuntary facial movements that last a half second or less. While Micro Expressions are not proof of lying per se, they are reliable signs of emotions that may be tied to falsehoods or anxiety. These faint facial expressions could be early signs of an emotion, the subtle experience of an emotion, or an emotion that is deliberately concealed. There are 7 observable Micro Expressions: happiness, anger, surprise, disgust, contempt, sadness, and neutral.

Why learn to spot these emotions? Consider these advantages:

  • Sales professionals can gauge if their prospect or customer is “buying” their product or service.
  • An HR professional can tell if a candidate is less than authentic about experience or past positions.
  • Senior executives can hone their leadership skills by ensuring that their vision is resonating among employees and colleagues.
  • Lawyers can bolster their sixth sense during jury selection or cross-examination.
  • Police detectives can pick out the Pinocchio in the lineup.
  • Product managers can improve customer feedback.
  • Focus group moderators can decode respondents’ facial expressions for better understanding.

So, what does all this have to do with smiling and the French Revolution? While the guillotine was used as a means of execution long before the French Revolution (even the Nazi’s used it centuries later), the genesis of the French version was originally proposed as a more “humane” alternative to swords or axes, which often left their victims mangled.

Grisly Experiments

Whether the guillotine was actually a kinder/gentler form of execution has long been debated; speculation abounded whether the condemned were conscious after death. Grisly experiments were conducted to test this hypothesis. According to Evan Andrews, a writer, and History Channel contributor, doctors during the French Revolution urged victims “to try to blink or leave one eye open after their execution to prove they could still move.” During the spectacle of public executions, some would scream at the deceased’s head to draw attention. Still, others would expose severed heads to flames or ammonia to elicit a reaction.[1]

An Authentic Smile

Despite these fiendish medieval experiments, one French neurologist made some important discoveries regarding genuine and “fake” smiles. While others before him analyzed the heads of guillotine victims to see how long, if at all, victims lived after being executed, it was Guillaume Duchenne de Boulogne who studied how face muscles worked using electrical stimulus. The Zygomatic muscles he studied span the side of the face and attach to the corners of the mouth. These muscles also are attached to the orbicularis oculi, which are independent muscles that separately pull the eyes back, producing “crow’s feet”. Through his experiments, Duchenne proved that, unlike the “crow’s feet” muscles, we can control the zygomatic muscles to feign happiness or to signal subordination. An authentic smile should be accompanied by wrinkles around the eyes. Say Allen and Barbara Pease, husband and wife body language experts, “insincere people smile only with their mouth.” [2] Today, a true or genuine smile is called the “Duchenne smile”.

The Merrill Institute Mission

Others have built upon Duchenne’s legacy including, but not limited to, Dr. Paul Eckman, Haggard and Isaacs, famed psychologists Wallace Friesen and Dr. David Matsumoto, Swedish physician Carl-Herman Hjortsjö, and The Center for Body Language—to name a few.

We at the Merrill Institute intend to build on this legacy, both in Micro Expressions and Body Language training. Stay tuned to our next blog as we individually analyze the 7 Micro Expressions as well as introduce the concept of the 88 Major Body Language Positions.

Contact The Merrill Institute to learn more about Body Language Training and Micro-Expressions

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[1] Andrew Evans, 8 Things you Didn’t Know about the Guillotine, https://www.history.com/news/8-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-guillotine

[2] Pease, Allan & Barbara. The Definitive Book of Body Language (pp. 66-67). Random House Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Filed Under: David Schneer, The Merrill Institute Tagged With: blog, body language, David Schneer, micro expressions, The Merrill Institute

Can Feet Tell the Truth?: How Legs and Feet can Reveal the Mind’s Eye!

February 19, 2019 by Rich Stimbra

By David M. Schneer, Ph.D.

Sometimes, when we stumble upon our words, it may feel as though we are only opening up our mouths to switch feet. But the stark reality is this: our feet were made for talking.

It is well known that facial expressions can convey more truth than a person’s words. For example, a person’s eyes can tell you whether they are enjoying what they are seeing or not. If a person likes what they are seeing, their pupils will grow as the brain says, “give me more.” Conversely, a person whose pupils are small indicates that the person dislikes what they are seeing. Hence the term, “beady eyes.”

But what about people’s legs and feet? Can they tell anything about what a person is feeling? Absolutely! Many experts in the field regard the legs and feet as more reliable signposts of emotions than facial expressions. Here’s why.

In a series of tests confirmed by Dr. Paul Eckman—as well as practiced in the training from the Center for Body Language (Belgium)—people who lie are more likely to increase their foot movements—irrespective of gender. While some people are adept at faking facial expressions to conceal lies, most are completely ignorant of what their legs and feet are telling others.

Furthermore, professional lie-catchers and astute body language observers are more successful at detecting falsehoods when they are able to observe peoples’ lower extremities. Perhaps this is the reason that many people—especially managers—will sit behind a solid desk to conceal their legs? If you’ve ever felt uncomfortable sitting at a glass table, it is likely that you subconsciously felt less in control with exposed legs and feet, says Eckman.

If you want to ascertain whether someone is telling the truth, just look at their legs and feet. Explains Allan and Barbara Pease, “The legs evolved in humans to serve two purposes: to move forward to get food and to run away from danger. Because the human brain is hardwired for these two objectives—to go toward what we want and move away from what we don’t want—the way a person uses their legs and feet reveals where they want to go. In other words, they show a person’s commitment to leaving or staying in a conversation.” [1]

Some common telltale signs that could indicate certain emotions and/or falsehoods:

  1. Splayed legs: In the world of business and negotiations, legs in an open stance can communicate a desire to learn more or superiority/dominance.
  2. Crossed Legs: Spell a closed attitude or even uncertainty. When a person displays crossed arms and legs, it is likely they have emotionally darted away from the conversation and you are not likely to convince them of anything.
    • Studies have shown that people who exhibit a closed posture are more likely to speak in short, staccato sentences, remember fewer conversation details, and deny more proposals or propositions than those exhibiting a more open position.
    • The same can be true in the dating scene: a woman who folds her arms across her chest and positions crossed legs away from you is basically saying, “no chance, buddy.” Unconsciously, uninterested women (and men) will inadvertently point their feet toward an exit sign. What is the message? “Check please!” A more interested woman (or man) would likely have a more open leg stance with feet pointed toward the subject of interest.
  3. The Ankle Lock: This position can often be seen with clenched fists resting on one’s knees or hands gripping the chair’s arms. Essentially, this is tantamount to “biting one’s lip”. Woman who are uneasy or emotionally withdrawn almost singularly show knees locked together, feet pointing to one side and hands at the side or placed atop the knees (unless, of course they are royalty or perhaps a dire attempt to cover up a wardrobe malfunction).
  4. The Leg Twine: Shy or timid people display the leg twine. What does this look like? You’ve probably seen it before but did not detect it’s meaning. In this gesture, the top of one foot locks around the other in a show of insecurity. If you observe this gesture, a kinder, gentler approach may be warranted.
  5. Happy (Tapping) Feet: Don’t be misled by tapping feet (unless you’re at a concert). Tapping feet may indicate nervousness and uneasiness.

These gestures are just a few of the more common and noticeable ones, but there are many more positions that can tell a tale.

Which brings us back to the topic of glass tables. To the extent that it is possible, conversing or negotiating around a glass table is ideal. If you’re constantly negotiating, invest in a glass table. As for focus group facilities, we recommend they offer glass tables in their moderation rooms.

Stay tuned for more tips on spotting incongruencies between what people say with their mouths and what their bodies are telling you!

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[1] Pease, Allan & Barbara . The Definitive Book of Body Language (p. 211). Random House Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Filed Under: David Schneer, The Merrill Institute Tagged With: blog, body language, communication, David Schneer, negotiation, The Merrill Institute

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