A groundbreaking study by the University of Essex has found that a brief smile can make neutral faces appear happier, using electrical stimulation to influence emotional perception. This research opens new avenues for understanding facial feedback and developing treatments for emotional expression disorders.
Smiling for just a split second makes people more likely to see happiness in expressionless faces, new University of Essex research has revealed.
The study led by Dr Sebastian Korb, from the Department of Psychology, shows that even a brief weak grin makes faces appear more joyful. The pioneering experiment used electrical stimulation to spark smiles and was inspired by photographs made famous by Charles Darwin.
A painless current manipulated muscles momentarily into action – creating a short uncontrollable smile.
Breakthrough in Emotional Perception
This is the first time facial electrical stimulation has been shown to affect emotional perception.
Dr Korb hopes the research can explore potential treatments for depression or disorders that affect expression, like Parkinson’s and autism.
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