84 Are the Androids Dreaming Yet?

84 Are the Androids Dreaming Yet? Smiles When we smile naturally we use a full set of facial muscles, including the muscles around our eyes. When the smile is forced those eye muscles remain passive and the smile, although superficially the same, is missing something. You can’t put your finger on it, but the look is insincere. A study of marriages in the USA analyzed smiles in wedding photographs. The couples with false smiles divorced much earlier than the genuinely happy couples. Similarly for high school photos; people with genuine smiles at 18 years of age were happier later in life and in more stable relationships. Smiling is really important. It is good to be around people who smile, they are more successful — and nicer. There is also a curious reverse effect. The link between our minds and bodies is much more fundamental than we thought. If you grasp a pencil between your teeth, it forces you to smile. Try it. The mere act of smiling is found to make you happier, it causes the release of the chemicals called endorphins which improve your feeling of well-being. Micro-expression Analysis Since the involuntary movements of the muscles around our eyes give away genuine happiness, a whole science has evolved looking for other biological cues to mood. The two most interested groups are the FBI, trying to detect lies, and poker players, trying to make money! Much has been written on the topic, including a few best sellers, but the evidence for micro expressions is mixed. Regardless of whether involuntary actions give away our emotions, humans voluntarily use a great deal of body language when talking. Body Language A study by Albert Mehrabian is often cited to say 93% of the information in a conversation comes through nonverbal cues. This is misquoted. The study really stated 93% of the emotional content is nonverbal. That's more believable. And further studies have shown when there is doubt, nonverbal cues win over verbal information every time. The rule is sometimes laid out as the 7%-38%-55% rule — 7% words, 38% tone of voice and 55% body language. Remember this is emotional content, your conviction and sincerity. You will still have to get over the factual information you want to convey. HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_015774