Surprised facial expression. Facial expressions in acting. Expressions of feelings and emotions through nonverbal signals

What is facial expression? Everyone knows the general meaning of this word, but not everyone knows complete information. Young children begin to understand the meaning of facial expressions at less than a year old, long before they begin to speak. They react very clearly to emotional condition a person by his face, look.

Facial expressions, also known as facial expression, are movements of the facial muscles that occur under the influence of a person’s emotional state. What is the primary meaning of the word “facial expressions”? Him Greek origin, from a root meaning “imitation.” Most of When talking, people focus their attention on the face of the interlocutor.

Facial expression analysis

Analysis of facial expressions is carried out:

1. According to voluntary and involuntary aspects.
2. According to physiological aspects, such as tone, strength, symmetry (or asymmetry).
3. From sociocultural and psychological positions (connection of facial expressions with cultures, groups of various types).

Taken together, the information obtained through such analysis characterizes a person, his gender and age, profession, ethnic and social parameters, and emotional state during speech. Any complex of facial movements is characteristic of some states and sets of individual parameters, and at the same time uncharacteristic of others. When analyzing human facial expressions, it is important to take into account its fundamental characteristics: harmony, dynamics, variability. This means that changing any of these parameters can radically change the meaning of the entire facial picture.

Sight

The harmony of facial expressions is checked by analyzing the correspondence of the facial pattern different parts faces. The discrepancy between facial movements, for example, the upper and lower parts, may indicate that the subject is not speaking sincerely or is hiding his real attitude towards others.

Facial expressions are interconnected with other psychophysical aspects, for example, with physiognomic parameters and gaze characteristics. K. S. Stanislavsky characterized the latter as unmediated communication from soul to soul. Dynamic aspects of the gaze (direction towards the interlocutor or in the other direction, the time the gaze is held on the interlocutor, the rate of change of the above aspects) contain information about the attitude towards the interlocutor: “shooting with the eyes”, “making eyes”, “flirting with the eyes”, “measuring with the eyes” ”, “look down”, “watch out of the corner of the eye”, “catch the eye”, “call with the eyes”, “follow with the eyes”. People tend to identify eye movements with the moral and ethical characteristics and character of a person (a shifting gaze is a thief).

The importance of eye contact

When people come into contact with each other, people subconsciously choose different means of communication, facial expressions being one of them. When analyzing the relationship between interlocutors, not only the proportion of time of eye contact, but also its breaking and restoration, as well as specific moments when it occurs and when it does not, is of decisive importance.

On average, in normal relationships, eye contact is maintained for 30 to 60% of the conversation. In positive relationship dynamics, the interlocutor prefers to maintain eye contact when listening rather than when speaking. The opposite happens with aggressive communication, and the frequency and activity of contact also increases. In favorable relationships, people are more likely to fix their gaze on their interlocutor when positive statements than with negative ones.

Visual dominance

The opposite situation may indicate an attempt by the interlocutor to dominate, to aggressively take the situation into his own hands. The visual dominance index (VID) is calculated using the formula “frequency of eye contact during listening/frequency of eye contact during speech” and characterizes the interlocutor’s desire to fight for dominance in communication. The lower this parameter, the stronger a person’s desire to dominate.

Often, the frequency of eye contact can characterize the inequality of interlocutors. It is believed that an interlocutor whose status is higher is less inclined to maintain visual contact. If there are several interlocutors and most often the views of the others are fixed on one of them, this characterizes his supreme position. Visual contact is understood as the mutual penetration of people into each other’s personal space. Avoiding contact is a withdrawal from interaction, a desire to free up one’s personal space.

Can facial expressions be controlled?

Gaze analysis in order to identify personal characteristics and interpersonal relationships of subjects is characterized by both the above-mentioned temporal parameters and spatial ones, such as eye movement up, down, right, left; direction of gaze to the side or at the interlocutor, intensity of visual contact; psychophysical parameters. What is facial expression and can it be controlled? Of all types of expression, it is facial expression (facial expressions) that is most amenable to human control.

Facial expressions are a means of non-verbal information leakage

The concept of “nonverbal information leakage” takes this into account and ranks various elements of expression depending on their informativeness. Three aspects are fundamental to this characteristic:

• average transfer time;
• a variety of non-verbal reaction complexes characteristic of the corresponding part of the body;
• opportunity for the interlocutor to observe them.

The human face takes first place in these parameters; moreover, what facial expressions are can be said by studying the peculiarities of the manifestation of emotions on the face. For this reason, many people, while controlling their facial expressions, pay less attention to controlling other aspects of expression, which makes the analysis of facial reactions more difficult. However, there are quite common involuntary reactions. Thus, when describing an event, fact, or person insincerely, people tend to smile less often, and nervous people When conveying information that does not correspond to reality, they try to look very calm.

The eyes don't deceive

Difficult to analyze and manage own reactions eye on the emotional state, and this allows us to rightfully call the eyes a real mirror in which the soul is reflected. But in some cases, the development of facial expressions occurs over time.

Well-controlled facial muscles may not move at all, but the eyes are more likely to convey the necessary information. The look characterizes both the state of a person - he can be frightened, joyful, sad, and his attitude towards the people around him and the situation - he can be dissatisfied, expressing respect or contempt.

The meaning of facial expressions

Characteristic for specific person Features of facial expressions and gaze may also indicate personality characteristics. Thus, a sideways glance combined with an incredulous facial expression can indicate an appropriate attitude towards people in general, about constant fear make a mistake or be deceived. During communication, the face in any case attracts attention, because it can tell about the above-mentioned aspects, and whether the interlocutor understood us, whether he wants to continue the conversation, and much more. The importance of facial expressions in communication is difficult to overestimate. Below are the characteristics of the most frequently and obviously expressed emotions and states by facial expressions.

Facial expressions as a means of expressing emotions

1. Surprise is an immediate reaction to a new or unexpected event. Most often, the eyebrows are raised, resulting in wrinkles on the forehead. The eyes open wide, but are not tense. The mouth often opens slightly.
2. Fear is the fear of the possibility of an unfavorable, traumatic event. The eyebrows in this condition may also be raised, but not in the same way as in the previous case. They are more stretched to the sides than upwards, since the eyes are opened more widely and intensely. The forehead also wrinkles. The mouth stretches with tension.
3. Anger. Manifestation of threat or intent to cause harm. Because this condition increases blood pressure, the face turns red, and veins may swell. Breathing quickens. The face as a whole is tense. The eyebrows meet at the nose, forming a downward-pointing angle. The lips are tense and may even be bared. Often they are slightly open so that the teeth are visible.
4. Disgust is a reaction to any form of contact with an object that causes emotional rejection. The eyebrows are directed downwards without wrinkling the forehead. The eyes become narrower as they are covered by eyelids. The mouth may open slightly, its corners point up or down, sometimes the mouth opens a little, and the lips tense. Wrinkles in this condition may appear on the nose.
5. Joy. Occurs when the mood rises. When combined with surprise, joy can be supplanted by the latter in terms of display on the face. Often used to mask other emotions, including rage and fear. However, the true emotional state can be recognized by voice, breathing, gestures and other parameters. Joy causes almost no tension in the facial muscles. The participation of eyebrows in the reaction is minimal. The eyes narrow a little and may “shine.” A characteristic half-smile appears on the lips. The expression as a whole is pleasant for the interlocutor.
6. Sadness is a reaction to grief and loss. As a rule, it appears briefly, after which it is replaced by the usual expression of a person’s face. The eyebrows droop, especially on the outer sides. The forehead wrinkles vertically, forming corresponding wrinkles in the middle. The eyes are half-closed, the corners of the lips are slightly lowered.

It is necessary to understand that gaze is an element nonverbal communication without words. Facial expressions can more accurately convey a person’s state than voice and words. When looking too closely and frequently, tension can arise between interlocutors. However, when contacting friendly people, it is necessary to maintain periodic visual contact, since its absence can be interpreted as aloofness and avoidance of communication.

The very expression of all these emotions on a person’s face gives the answer to the question of what facial expressions are.

What do you pay attention to when making your first impression of a person? Come to mind different variants: clothes, physique, timbre of voice, behavior and... face. Yes, it’s where people spend their gaze the longest. Facial features are distinctive business card and reveal the full range of a person’s character. Some will doubt this until they remember that the face consists of muscles. And frequently used muscles leave an imprint of lived emotions and feelings on the face.

The face will tell not only about character - it will reveal the truth if there is reason to doubt the truthfulness; will convey real emotions in the face of hypocrisy and, most importantly, the face will not deceive, unlike words. Psychology has made great progress in this direction. Now everyone has the opportunity to develop the ability to understand human non-verbal language.

To learn how to read facial and body signals, first find the answer to the questions - what is facial expression and how is it related to speech. There is a lot of information on this topic on the Internet, but not all of it is truthful and comprehensive. In this case, it is better to take lessons from professionals in the field of psychology so as not to store useless garbage in your memory.

It is worth paying attention to the German management coach - Vera Birkenbiel. She has made advances in the study of how the brain works and has developed lessons based on her research.

Her book “The Language of Intonation, Facial Expressions and Gestures” was compiled over several years, where Birkenbill voiced the results of observations and experiments with facial expressions and gestures. Therefore the book gives detailed description processes that occur with the face and body when a person experiences emotions.

Birkenbill refers to the definition of facial expressions as changes that occur on the face, including psychosomatics, head movement, direction of gaze and posture.

In an easy and understandable form, the author lays the foundation for understanding body language: the book is structured as a question and answer game. Certain information is given, and then tasks for consolidation. Vera Birkenbiel describes the types of emotions, and then suggests choosing a family photo and reading the emotions of all family members. So, with the help of this book, it will become much easier for beginners to step further and find out what secrets psychology hides.

Facial expressions and gestures in communication

The language of gestures and facial expressions is complex, so one book is not enough to understand it correctly. Often the expression of emotions is mixed - at one moment there is a signal of anger, then joy, and then a second of surprise. So, by isolating a specific emotion, all that remains is to guess what the person actually felt. Therefore, after learning the basics, you need to learn how to combine all human signals into one whole.

Let's consider the basic facial emotions that are often present in conversation:

• Astonishment. Is a sudden and short emotion. Few people know that surprise is neutral, it does not belong to the definition of joy or sadness. The fact is that a person is influenced by the following emotion, which replaces surprise in a split second.

Signs: The emotion affects three parts of the face and is different external features. The eyes open wide, while the lower eyelid remains relaxed. The lips part slightly and the eyebrows rise high. With reserved people, surprise is expressed only by eyebrows with a neutral face.

• Fear. Vividly experienced negative emotion, which causes changes in the human body. The skin turns pale and sweats, the pulse increases sharply, and the hands tremble. This emotion constrains a person and makes it difficult for him to move. Fear is depleting from the inside, so it cannot be experienced for a long time.

Signs: Eyes are open and tense. The lower eyelid is slightly pulled up. The eyebrows are raised, but not as much as in the case of surprise. The lips are tense and the corners of the lips droop down. If only the eyes indicate fear, then the fear is weak or controlled.

• Disgust. People experience this emotion differently. For one it will cause nausea, and for the other it will only make a slight wince in the face. Disgust is often experienced along with anger. Anger appears at something or someone for causing disgust.

Signs: Disgust is mainly transmitted through the nose and mouth - raised upper lip, which causes the nose to wrinkle. With strong disgust, the mouth opens, sharply indicating the nasolabial folds and tense cheeks.

• Anger. Refers to dangerous emotions because it provokes harm. During outbursts of anger, this emotion overrides the mind, and a person commits actions that he later regrets. Also, anger affects the somatic processes of the body - the skin turns red, veins on the face and neck stand out, and the body leans towards the offender. The duration of anger depends on self-control. The stronger the internal control, the less time it will take to come to your senses.

Signs: Usually all parts of the face are involved. The eyebrows move and form folds on the forehead. The eyes may be squinted or wide open. The mouth is either tightly clenched or tense, as if the person wants to scream.

• Joy. A positive emotion that makes people feel good. The meaning of joy is different for everyone and is caused in four cases: Pleasant sensations; relief; improvement; excitation.

Signs: Lips are stretched and the corners are raised up. The cheeks are tense, the nasolabial folds are clearly marked, and wrinkles are formed on the temples.

• Chagrin. Caused by three reasons - disappointment, loss and a feeling of hopelessness. It proceeds passively. The face turns pale, the shoulders droop, the head hangs on the chest, and the lips and cheeks droop under the influence of their own weight. The effects of grief or sadness can last from a few minutes to several years.

Signs: The inner corners of the eyebrows are raised, the eyelids are relaxed, the corners of the mouth are downturned or trembling.

Some human emotions can intertwine with each other and form mixed ones. For example, anger can appear simultaneously with sadness and disgust. Then you should pay attention to the facial expressions and gestures that appeared last.

Depending on the sincerity of these emotions, types of facial expressions are distinguished:

• involuntary (caused reflexively);
• arbitrary (conscious or as an element of art).

Gestures and facial expressions of a man in love

A person who shows sympathy changes his facial expressions, gestures, intonations, posture and movement. A man himself does not understand his non-verbal signals of sympathy, but the female nature is very receptive to them, so the woman is the first to figure out what these signals mean.

• When a man is next to a woman he finds attractive, his body unconsciously turns towards her. He wants to appear better, so he smooths his hair, adjusts his watch, tie, or brushes off non-existent specks of dust from his clothes.
• One of the most striking gestures of sympathy is laying thumb by the belt of his trousers to give meaning to his gender. He also emphasizes physical strength in front of the woman, due to the space he occupies, he keeps his hands on his hips or stretches his legs forward.
• In conversation, his intonations will become lower and chesty, and eye contact will increase. Sympathy will also affect facial expressions. The man will smile more often, sometimes even intensely, his eyes will open wider and his lips will part.

Female psychology is much more complex, so she uses more enticing techniques, from straightening her hair to swaying her hips and intimate glances.

TV series "Lie to Me"

For such fans, the scientific series “Lie to Me” was filmed, based on the research of Professor Paul Ekman. This series is a complex work, where the key thread is the psychology of people and solving crimes, through reading facial expressions and gestures. If you read Paul Ekman's book on The Theory of Lies, you can better understand what certain moments that characterize the series mean.

Main character I am sure that the definition of a lie is visible in every person. Based on barely noticeable signs - facial expressions, intonation and gestures, the doctor and assistants help in police investigations. They analyze what posture, rapid breathing and heart rate indicate. The series clearly shows what human psychology hides and how to detect a lie through careful observation.

The ability to understand facial expressions and gestures will change your life. You will improve your relationships with colleagues and become closer to your relatives. Learn to distinguish truth from lies and achieve success in career ladder. It's surprising that one in three people don't value these skills.

Moreover, there are many ways to obtain information - books, magazines, the Internet, films, documentary programs and even TV series. You don't have to make sacrifices to make your life better - discover new page books, and life will open a new page for you!

It often happens that trust in people disappears when their insincerity is suspected. When the interlocutor begins to “evade” the truth during communication, only people who have some knowledge about the peculiarities of transmitting information can discern this. After all, facial expressions non-verbally communicate your true state to another person.

The psychology of human behavior is limitless. To fully study the secrets of facial expressions as one of its sections, it will take more than one year. Meanwhile, you can learn to understand your interlocutor by a glance or a hidden grin if you know about some nuances.

Firstly, the key to a correct understanding of what a person would like to say is an objective assessment of everything he reproduces, taking into account the relationship between speech and facial expressions. Secondly, people are able to express emotions that arise in the soul in two ways:

• conventionally;
• spontaneously.

This means that if the partner wants not to reveal his true attitude to the information being communicated, he can limit himself to the simplest hint. But more often than not, this method is more misleading than effective.

How to determine the truth of information by facial expressions?

Before saying something, in most cases a person thinks about his words and tries to keep his facial expressions under control as much as possible. At the same time, it can be extremely difficult for the interlocutor to keep track of several reactions at once. Psychology will come to the rescue, teaching you how to properly develop the ability of facial “language” or identify a sincere attitude towards something by facial expressions.

Reactions that appear spontaneously or involuntarily in the interlocutor can be correctly read only if there is a long-term relationship with a partner. If you do not take this point into account, there will always be a possibility of critical self-deception in the process of deep recognition of your partner.

Identify by facial expression human face The degree of personal expression is not difficult, but it is extremely important to take into account the many associated factors. It turns out that women have a much harder time managing their emotions than men. It is difficult for representatives of the fair sex to hide their existing experiences, so their face more clearly reveals its owner in a given situation. In addition to gender, other factors also play a role in the success of withholding information:

• temperament (it is easier for a phlegmatic person to protect his feelings from prying eyes than, for example, for a choleric person);
• additional related circumstances;
• experience of the receiving party.

How to learn to understand facial gestures?

Facial expression, as psychology says, is predetermined by the influence of experienced feelings, which provoke controlled contractions and relaxations of muscles. Many people want to master the ability to control their emotions by performing special facial exercises. However, all the measures taken to teach the subtleties of facial expressions will not be successful if you do not know about other important points.

For example, facial symmetry in displaying feelings helps to recognize a lie much faster. In addition, lips can give away a person’s desire to disguise.

For example, increased facial expressions in the mouth area allow us to conclude that the speaker is worried about something. Lips curved in one direction indicate a skeptical or mocking attitude towards what is happening.

Facial expressions in acting

Correct and beautiful facial expressions are especially important for an actor. A professional in this field, before going on stage, must perform his usual exercises aimed at warming up his facial muscles. The simplest and most common training scheme takes no more than 5 minutes, however, the results of its influence on a person’s facial abilities are colossal. To warm up, you need to follow step by step instructions:

• In front of the mirror, concentrate your attention extremely on all the moving facial elements.
• Do it one by one (with eyebrows, eyes, cheeks, lips) simple exercises with each part of the face, lowering and lifting up.
• A few minutes after completing a simple set of exercises, pay attention to the mobility of all facial muscles.

Human psychology confirms that the viewer during a performance will be able to delve into what is happening and become interested in the plot of even the most uninteresting performance only if he detects a clear expression of emotion on the actor’s face. Clearly readable facial expressions serve as a means of additional effective messaging to the audience. Thanks to her, the essence of what is happening on stage comes to the audience.

Training to improve facial expressions

An experienced actor often has no problems with mastering his own facial expressions. The psychology of facial communication he has learned and mastered allows him not to monitor the work of his muscles. His face in moments of anger, sadness or joy clearly conveys internal simulated experiences and emotional mood. But in order to correctly perceive acting on stage, you must first study your facial gestures in detail.

• Group classes on control and management of facial expressions are especially relevant in creative circles. The exercises performed by participants in such training are coordinated by the leader. He occupies a central place in the circle of students. Thus, the teacher is able to monitor the quality and compliance with the rules of each exercise performed.
• As students build a facial “picture” in a group, the leader must promptly orient each of them if corrections are necessary: ​​some need to squint their eyes more to complete the image, while others need to relax the corners of their mouth and not frown. The psychology of facial expressions can be mastered much faster during a group discussion of each exercise.

Years of creativity and painstaking work above themselves allow the actor to have no doubt about how his face looks at a particular moment. Without resorting to the help of a mirror, a person who has undergone long-term training in controlling personal facial expressions can portray this or that sensual mood.

Facial expressions in accordance with feelings

The psychology of facial expressions is understood in stages. To begin with, it is important to learn about how the appearance of a person experiencing different emotions changes:

• with joyful, inspiring feelings, the lips curl, their corners gravitate back, and fine wrinkles appear around the eye line;
• surprise or interest is shown on the face with raised eyebrows and slightly widened eyes, the mouth may be rounded and slightly open;
• disgust and contempt are reflected in appearance a person in different ways: in the first case, you can observe a wrinkled nose and drooping eyebrows, the lower lip is slightly protruded, it seems as if the person has choked on something; in the second case, the interlocutor’s face will be elongated, eyebrows raised, and a “down” look is typical;
• It is easy to determine whether a person is scared or not by his widened eyes and eyebrows shifted inward; in addition, a slightly open mouth and pulled back corners indicate internal tension and stiffness;
• anger and anger manifest themselves in the same way: the forehead is furrowed, the eyes are threatening, the nostrils are widened, the lips are clenched, the skin may turn red;
• Feelings of shame are reflected in appearance by looking away, looking down, or shifting eyes, slightly closed eyelids.

It is important to perform exercises for the development of facial expressions regularly - only then the psychology of communication and facial expressions will become faithful assistant. The duration of the workouts varies from person to person, but most often they are performed for 10 to 15 minutes a day. The set of classes can be divided into morning and evening sessions. In addition, there is no urgent need to carry out gymnastics strictly according to the schedule.

Any exercise aimed at mastering facial expressions should be performed in front of a mirror. It is extremely important to take the correct body position. It is most convenient to train your facial muscles while sitting, keeping your back and neck straight. It is worth considering that exercise is a considerable strain on the muscles and can negatively affect the elasticity of the skin in the future. Proper facial care and moisturizing will help prevent wrinkles.

Exercises for beautiful and controlled facial expressions

The development of facial expressions occurs rapidly: after a couple of weeks of classes, with a diligent and persistent approach to learning, the changes will become noticeable and tangible not only to the student, but also to members of his social circle. Simple exercises look like this:

• Lips should be closed, but not squeezed. The entire muscular system of the face should be as relaxed as possible. Place your middle fingers at the corners of your mouth and press a little. The main task This exercise involves stretching your lips “into a tube” and attempting to kiss the air. The nasolabial triangle should be tense for at least 10 seconds, then relax the muscles and repeat 5-6 times.
• With your mouth wide open, you need to raise your eyes up and blink constantly for 30–40 seconds. This exercise will not only tone your facial muscles, but also give your eyes a rest.
• You should clasp your cheeks with your hands so that your little fingers are in the corners of your lips. You need to make a wide smile without opening your mouth, and maintain it for some time (10–15 seconds). Gradually, returning to the starting position, relax for 10 seconds and repeat the exercise 5-6 times.

Mastering a perfect level of facial expression control is much easier than it might seem at first glance. The psychology of facial expressions will teach you to manage your emotions and determine the degree of their truthfulness in your interlocutor.

According to research, people are used to conveying only a small part of information using words. The rest is devoted to facial expressions, gestures, even intonation. Psychology classifies body language and gestures as a more truthful way of transmitting information. If you can tell a lie in words, the body will certainly signal hidden feelings. By learning to recognize body language and understanding the meaning of gestures, you can easily find out the truth.

What do gestures indicate?

Emotions are one of the main factors that force us to stop controlling the behavior of the body. When trying to identify hidden feelings and thoughts, you need to remember that some gestures depend on the situation that has arisen. Example: frost can make a person close up, cross his arms over his chest, trying to keep warm. The psychology of gestures classifies such a movement as an attempt to protect oneself from unwanted events.

When studying the secrets that are hidden, facial expressions and gestures are assessed, first of all, based on the surrounding environment. If there are no factors that provoke double judgment, it will be possible to recognize the truth without much difficulty.

Basic gestures that allow you to determine a person’s intentions, feelings, desires:

• The desire to open up, to gain trust - gesturing with open palms pointing upward, connecting the fingers of two hands under the chin, at chest level.
• Threat. Nervous massage of the neck, chin, tension in the arms. The person tries to distract himself and not provoke a conflict, but if necessary, the reaction will be instantaneous, the interlocutor will not hold back.
• Mistrust. Hands pressed tightly to the sides create an insurmountable barrier, indicating a reluctance to believe. You will have to make a lot of effort to convince you that you are right, to convey the truth, to impose an opinion.
• Interest. They often show interest in opposite sex women strive to look impeccable, straighten their hair and makeup, their gait becomes seductive, with a soft sway of their hips.
• The desire to avoid conversation, communication. Objects in the hands of the interlocutor, with which a person is distracted from the topic of conversation, are evidence of a lack of interest and a desire to end the conversation as quickly as possible. Searching for non-existent items in a bag, package, or wallet is another evidence of quickly getting rid of an unwanted conversation and going about your business.
• Lack of interest. The main signals are that a person is trampling, shifting, actively yawning, leaning his head on his hand, trying to focus his gaze on a foreign object.
• Negative mood, negativity. The hands are clasped behind the back, the legs are tense, ready to move, soon the person is able to show aggression and rush into a fight.
• Showing sympathy. Leaning forward is the main sign of interest in the interlocutor, a friendly disposition, and a desire to prolong the relationship.
• Protection. Distrust of the interlocutor, reluctance to get into a quarrel, lack of desire to communicate is determined by crossed arms and legs. Clenched fists- a signal of aggressiveness; it is not worth provoking conflicts.

If it’s difficult to figure it out on your own, you need to find out more about what body language and gestures tell, which will allow you to clearly determine the features and secrets of movements.

Secrets of facial expressions

Sign language alone is not always useful; psychology recommends studying facial expressions, which no less actively indicate a person’s intentions and feelings. Facial manifestations are more truthful, accurate - external factors rarely affect physiognomic features.

Psychology classifies the main signals that facial expressions give and explains it as follows:

• Fear, great fear. Eyes wide open, eyebrows rising rapidly, eyelids raised.
• Pleasure, joy, desire to communicate. A wide smile, slightly squinted eyes, dilated nostrils are the main signals indicating a good mood.
• Anger. The eyebrows meet almost completely on the bridge of the nose, the lips are tightly closed, do not bend, and are extended in a straight line.
• Sadness. An expressionless look, no emotions. Drooping eyes and eyelids provoke the appearance of wrinkles, the corners of the lips curve down.
• Disgust. The upper lip rises, tenses, the eyebrows quickly converge at one point on the bridge of the nose, and wrinkles appear on the nose.
• Confusion, surprise. The eyes widen and bulge a little. The eyebrows are raised in a “house”, the lips are folded into the letter “o”.

These are not all facial signals that you can recognize on your own. A book will help you understand and recognize secret signals that are explained by the psychology of human gestures and facial expressions - store shelves are replete with specialized literature.

Here are the best of them: A. and B. Pease " New language body movements”, G. Lilian “I read your thoughts”, P. Ekman “Know a liar by facial expression”, etc.

Studying literature is a mandatory step for people planning to master body language; psychology recommends starting with simple books, carefully analyzing the information. Incomprehensible questions rarely arise, but sometimes you encounter moments that are difficult to analyze on your own. In such cases, it is recommended to consult a specialist.

One of the psychologists and hypnologists who is always open for useful educational dialogue is Nikita Valerievich Baturin. The experience of N.V. Baturin will make it easy to understand body language, learn useful details, and learn to determine a person’s intentions, plans, and feelings using his online course.

How to recognize a lie?

It’s rare that any person manages to lie without blushing or blinking his eyes. The peculiarity of every person is that the body is capable of telling lies, and this happens involuntarily. Not everyone can control movements and facial expressions; the psychology of gestures and facial expressions, studied in advance, will allow you to identify a lie in a timely manner and react correctly.

Psychology has long studied the signals that indicate a lie, which are given by a person’s facial expressions and gestures. The following movements and facial expressions betray the truth:

• After saying this, the liar covers his lips with his palm;
• saliva is swallowed noisily several times;
• coughing appears;
• the shade of the skin of the face changes sharply - it turns pale, reddens, and becomes covered with spots;
• lips curl, resembling a smile;
• the gaze is not able to focus on one object, it slides, squints;
• the interlocutor avoids looking into the eyes, direct gaze ends with repeated blinking;
• heavy breathing appears.

Important! Involuntary reactions will allow you to recognize untruths and bring to light clean water, apply knowledge to protect family and friends, avoid trouble.

Facial expressions, body movements, hand gestures and their meaning, the psychology of each hidden sign - there are many interesting details for people who are just about to study the interpretation of signs. Learning secrets will allow you to respond to unpleasant situations in a timely manner, avoid difficulties, and find out the attitude of your interlocutor. Having learned to determine a person’s intentions, it will even be possible to prevent conflicts and extinguish brewing quarrels. Better understand human nature, understand the people around you and yourself,

Facial expressions - what is it? A rudiment inherited from our ancestors, or effective method communication? And how does a person learn different facial expressions? It's time to talk about the mysteries of facial expressions.

According to the medical encyclopedia, facial expressions are “responding to various mental states expressive movements of the facial muscles.” But what lies behind this florid formulation?

Human facial expressions - unique phenomenon. Almost all animals do not have a muzzle large quantity specific expressions of emotions, for example, even in chimpanzees, the animal closest in structure to humans, there are only eight facial expressions.

In humans, the number of facial expressions is beyond accurate count and depends on the cultural background and qualities of each individual person. Surprise, fear, anger, joy, smiling, winking - a person can do all this with the help of facial expressions. However, in different cultures and countries, facial expressions may be interpreted differently. Without facial expressions, a person would not be able to socialize, since nonverbal communication plays a huge role in everyday communication.

“When a relatively low-ranking chimpanzee expresses submission to a higher-ranking chimpanzee, it uses facial expressions that resemble a smiling/laughing human.”

Types of facial expressions

I also studied facial expressions famous Leonardo da Vinci, who first associated stable facial expressions with movements of facial muscles by observing older people whose wrinkles clearly showed the frequency of repetition of the same facial expressions. However, only hundreds of years later, the study of facial expressions managed to clear itself and separate itself from the dominant scientific doctrine of physiognomy, which supposedly explains a person’s character by his facial features. At the beginning of the 20th century, Russian scientist I.A. Sikorsky draws up a classification of facial expressions that is still relevant today: the muscles around the eyes are responsible for the expression of mental phenomena, those around the mouth are responsible for the expression of acts of will, and all the muscles of the face express feelings.

In addition to unconscious facial expressions, which are acquired by a person when interacting with other people, there are also conscious ones - for example, deliberately trained facial expressions of actors, and false ones - when, with the help of certain facial expressions, a person tries to mislead his interlocutor.

Evolutionary necessity of facial expressions

Since facial expressions are still necessary for humans, this means that in the past they contributed to their survival as a species. Charles Darwin was one of the first to become interested in the evolutionary significance of human facial expressions. The scientist believed that all emotions had an adaptive significance, and, therefore, facial expressions were the external side of emotions, extremely important for social interaction.

In other words, according to Darwin, facial expressions are simply rudiments of the movements that our ancestors needed to survive. Subsequently, science revised this theory and criticized it: for example, the German anatomist late XIX century, Theodore Piderit believed that facial muscles alleviate emotional stress and promote correct perception. For example, when we need to carefully examine something, we open our eyes wider - which is also useful from the point of view of the need to see something better. Then these movements also became socially significant: by opening our eyes wide, we show the interlocutor that we are attentive to him.

Subsequently, researchers paid a lot of attention to the problem of forming basic facial expressions. In 2011, scientists were able to discover that human facial expressions arise long before his birth. While in the womb, the child is already able to move his facial muscles, smile, raise his eyebrows in surprise, or frown.

Non-verbal communication

Poker players often use a special technique - they hide emotions under an impenetrable mask of a detached facial expression, protecting them from unnecessary conclusions from their opponent. Hiding your emotions and not showing facial expressions are the most important goals of card players.

However ordinary people cannot control their facial expressions around the clock, and emotions reveal much of what we would like to hide. The expressions on our faces, as well as gestures, gait patterns and some other human properties are usually called components of nonverbal communication, communication that occurs without words. Some scientists believe that up to 90% of all information that the human brain reads when communicating is non-verbal. With the help of facial expressions you can learn a lot about a person: when we meet people, we evaluate them not only by their clothes, but also by their facial expressions.

Basic facial expressions are familiar to us from childhood: a person shows surprise by opening his mouth and raising his eyebrows, and fear by stretching his lips with the corners down. Anger is expressed through wide open, squinted eyes and clenched teeth; happiness is expressed through a calm gaze and raised corners of the lips. As we see, from a person’s facial expressions one can see not only a specific affect, a smile, laughter or a grimace of pain, but also a deep emotional experience.

Rules of lying

However, many people are devoted to the analysis of small and seemingly insignificant facial movements and gestures. psychological research aimed at studying the phenomenon of lies. Psychologists confirm the existence of some common points, perhaps confirming the speaker’s dishonesty: a person may often show some kind of facial expression for no reason, nervously, and his gaze may move. Excessive concentration, unnaturalness, can also lead to thoughts of lying: in such cases, a person’s smile is asymmetrical and tense, and the muscles around the eyes do not tense during a false smile. The general tension of all facial muscles, a stone face, can also give away a liar.

A person’s gaze is a special expressor of facial expressions – and by analyzing eye movements one can say a lot about his character. If a person blinks frequently and his pupils dilate for no reason, he is most likely lying. Micro-movements of the eyes, which a person does not control, are also important: looking to the left means processing information, and looking to the right means constructing. So if your interlocutor constantly glances to the right during a conversation, you can suspect something is wrong.

However, psychologists ask not to rush to conclusions - to analyze “lying” facial expressions, you need to compare them with those typical for a particular person. Remembering everything external signs, it is worth remembering that facial expressions depend not only on a person’s internal intentions, but also on environment, both natural and social. Perhaps the atypical facial expression was borrowed by the interlocutor from a charismatic friend, and the nervous twitching of the eyes was just a search the right person in crowd.