Facial expressions are sometimes considered to be a universal language of emotional expression. As the saying goes, “a smile is the same in every culture”. However, new research shows that facial expressions are perceived differently in different cultures. Assuming a smile is the same everywhere could lead to significant cross-cultural miscommunications and misunderstandings.
Researchers in Glasgow questioned whether facial expressions are hard-wired into humans. They conducted a study in which participants were shown emotion-neutral faces on a computer screen. The faces were randomly altered and participants were asked to categorise the faces as happy, surprised, disgusted, sad, fearful or angry. Half of the study’s participants were Chinese, the other half Caucasian.
The study showed significant differences in the perceptions of the Chinese and the Caucasian participants. The Caucasian participants focused on the eyebrows and mouth for emotional cues, whereas Chinese participants focused on the eyes. The researchers found that six basic emotions translated to different facial expressions for the different culture.
This research is particularly important given the increasing cultural diversity in many cities.
What message are you sending with your facial expressions?
Perception of Facial Expressions Differs Across Cultures
