Facial Expressions
- There are 43 expression specific muscles in the face
- There are 20 muscle groups that create expressions
- Typically, the more muscles used to create an expression, the more genuine the expression will be.
- It is very difficult to keep track of all 43 muscles.
- Regardless of nationality, people can identify seven human emotions with ease: sadness, happiness, anger, fear, surprise, contempt, interest.
- People will often attempt to mask their emotions with a "straight" face, or CBL's term: numb face.
- The most practiced form of body language is facial recognition. For fun, view the picture to the right up close and far away. Notice how the brain perceives two different faces.
- People will "triangulate" to each other to be able to view one another's' faces.
Smiles:
- True smiles are unconscious, causing the cheeks to raise, the eye cover folds to move downward, and the end of the eyebrows to dip. This causes the teeth to show and wrinkles to appear along the eye line.
- A false false, or any other false expression will lack total expression muscle involvement. The photograph below shows a man smiling. See if you can tell which picture is the false smile (below).
- A false smile may lack symmetry (vertical or horizontal). A false smile appear instantly and last too long, rather than a true smile which gradually appears and lasts from one to five seconds.
TRY THIS:
Look into the mirror. Smile hard for ten seconds. At the end of the ten seconds, relax your face (do not force a neutral face). See if you begin to smile...BACK TO INDICATORS
- There are 43 expression specific muscles in the face
- There are 20 muscle groups that create expressions
- Typically, the more muscles used to create an expression, the more genuine the expression will be.
- It is very difficult to keep track of all 43 muscles.
- Regardless of nationality, people can identify seven human emotions with ease: sadness, happiness, anger, fear, surprise, contempt, interest.
- People will often attempt to mask their emotions with a "straight" face, or CBL's term: numb face.
- The most practiced form of body language is facial recognition. For fun, view the picture to the right up close and far away. Notice how the brain perceives two different faces.
- People will "triangulate" to each other to be able to view one another's' faces.
Smiles:
- True smiles are unconscious, causing the cheeks to raise, the eye cover folds to move downward, and the end of the eyebrows to dip. This causes the teeth to show and wrinkles to appear along the eye line.
- A false false, or any other false expression will lack total expression muscle involvement. The photograph below shows a man smiling. See if you can tell which picture is the false smile (below).
- A false smile may lack symmetry (vertical or horizontal). A false smile appear instantly and last too long, rather than a true smile which gradually appears and lasts from one to five seconds.
TRY THIS:
Look into the mirror. Smile hard for ten seconds. At the end of the ten seconds, relax your face (do not force a neutral face). See if you begin to smile...BACK TO INDICATORS
Eye Analysis
- There are physiological indicators presented in "Fundamental Body Language" that are evident in the eyes to indicate stress. Psychological processes (cognitive function) may also present indicators. These indicators may reveal what areas of the brain a person is accessing.
- The left side of the brain controls the right side of the body, visual recall, auditory recall, reasoning, written language, spoken language, mathematical skills, and scientific calculations.
- The right side of the brain controls the left side of the brain, creativity, art, music, spatial conception, insight, abstract thought, senses.
- Approximately 10% of the world population is left handed. 70-90% of the world is right handed. 20% are cross-dominant.
- Using the above percentages, 10% of the population may be opposite of the below illustrations; however, this depends on the person's cognitive division of labor. The "Paralanguage" covers how to determine if the chart is in-line with a person or opposite.
- As presented in "Paralanguage", after establishing a "baseline" use the chart below to determine if a person is "creating" or "recalling."
Remember, the chart depicts a person looking at you. Your left... possible lie. Your right... possible recall.
- There are physiological indicators presented in "Fundamental Body Language" that are evident in the eyes to indicate stress. Psychological processes (cognitive function) may also present indicators. These indicators may reveal what areas of the brain a person is accessing.
- The left side of the brain controls the right side of the body, visual recall, auditory recall, reasoning, written language, spoken language, mathematical skills, and scientific calculations.
- The right side of the brain controls the left side of the brain, creativity, art, music, spatial conception, insight, abstract thought, senses.
- Approximately 10% of the world population is left handed. 70-90% of the world is right handed. 20% are cross-dominant.
- Using the above percentages, 10% of the population may be opposite of the below illustrations; however, this depends on the person's cognitive division of labor. The "Paralanguage" covers how to determine if the chart is in-line with a person or opposite.
- As presented in "Paralanguage", after establishing a "baseline" use the chart below to determine if a person is "creating" or "recalling."
Remember, the chart depicts a person looking at you. Your left... possible lie. Your right... possible recall.
Conveying vs. Convincing
Without knowing specific facts before a person speaks, it is nearly impossible to claim you know a person is lying. A person who is well trained in body language, psychology, and general deception will tell you a person is displaying signs of deception. They know there are many signs of deception, but those signs can also be general stress.
A person may exhibit stress while lying, but they may also exhibit stress due the the nature of a question being asked or a topic being conveyed.
The chart to the right displays the natural cognitive progression of truth and deception. Expressing details that are true are normally much easier (depending on the topic) than attempting to deceive another person. As instructed in "Paralanguage", the tax on the brain and the resulting observable signs are what allow the investigator to determine deception or truth.
Without knowing specific facts before a person speaks, it is nearly impossible to claim you know a person is lying. A person who is well trained in body language, psychology, and general deception will tell you a person is displaying signs of deception. They know there are many signs of deception, but those signs can also be general stress.
A person may exhibit stress while lying, but they may also exhibit stress due the the nature of a question being asked or a topic being conveyed.
The chart to the right displays the natural cognitive progression of truth and deception. Expressing details that are true are normally much easier (depending on the topic) than attempting to deceive another person. As instructed in "Paralanguage", the tax on the brain and the resulting observable signs are what allow the investigator to determine deception or truth.
Mehrabian's Theory
"The non-verbal elements are particularly important for communicating feelings and attitude, especially when they are incongruent: if words and body language disagree, one tends to believe the body language." Albert Mehrabian
According to Mehrabian:
- 7% of meaning within communication is in spoken words.
- 38% of meaning is in voice tone, or the "way" it is said.
- 55% of meaning is in kinesics (body language).
Mehrabian theorized of a person's words, tones, and body language do not match, something is wrong and the communication will not be effective. CBLTAC substitutes "effective" for "truthful" or "persuasive," depending on the situation.
"The non-verbal elements are particularly important for communicating feelings and attitude, especially when they are incongruent: if words and body language disagree, one tends to believe the body language." Albert Mehrabian
According to Mehrabian:
- 7% of meaning within communication is in spoken words.
- 38% of meaning is in voice tone, or the "way" it is said.
- 55% of meaning is in kinesics (body language).
Mehrabian theorized of a person's words, tones, and body language do not match, something is wrong and the communication will not be effective. CBLTAC substitutes "effective" for "truthful" or "persuasive," depending on the situation.
Hand Gestures
We see three different types of hand gestures:
- Illustrators
- Emblems
- Manipulators
Illustrators assist the meaning of words. People will often paint a tangible object with their hands to assist in a description. Sometimes a person will use their hands to emphasis the emotion(s) associated with the words spoken.
Emblems represent a specific meaning, consciously or unconsciously, and depending upon culture. For instance, if a person is standing in front of the President of the United States, it is likely they will not have their hands on their hips. If you and a coworker are having a heated debate, and the person "steeples" their body by putting their hands behind their head, opening their legs, and leaning back, they are displaying to you (likely unconsciously) that they are not intimidated by your argument and likely feel as if they are quite right in the debate, even if they yield verbally.
Manipulators cause another person to do something. The military uses them in the form of "hand and arm signals." It may be in the woods on a combat patrol or in the belly of a loud aircraft full of paratroopers. A stranger may use a manipulator when holding a door and directing another through. Manipulators could be considered universal sign language.
Open Postures
- Welcoming, non-threatened kinesics.
- Open to ideas and communication.
- Relaxed and genuine.
- Non-deceitful and trusting.
Direct eye contact, but not staring
Warm, slow, open smile (teeth revealed)
Nodding
Head tilted
Open, inclusive gestures (palms showing)
Fully facing others
Leaning forward
Upright but relaxed posture
Firm handshake or double hand clasp handshake
Feet firmly planted
Chin up
Mirroring
Eyebrow flash upon greeting
Closed Postures
- Non-welcoming, threatened kinesics.
- Closed to ideas and communication.
- Tense and distant.
- Deceitful and untrusting.
Eye contact not met or direct hard staring
Tight, asymmetrical, fast or no smile
Down and away or dropped glances
Not fully facing, at an angle
Leaning away
Hunched shoulders, chair tick
Too-stiff posture
Weak handshake
Chin into chest
Arms crossed or Legs crossed
Legs outstretched while seated, feet tapping into floor
Absent-minded gazes
“Fig leaf” posture
During everyday interactions posturing is a powerful tool and an easy sign that the person is "on your side."
- Welcoming, non-threatened kinesics.
- Open to ideas and communication.
- Relaxed and genuine.
- Non-deceitful and trusting.
Direct eye contact, but not staring
Warm, slow, open smile (teeth revealed)
Nodding
Head tilted
Open, inclusive gestures (palms showing)
Fully facing others
Leaning forward
Upright but relaxed posture
Firm handshake or double hand clasp handshake
Feet firmly planted
Chin up
Mirroring
Eyebrow flash upon greeting
Closed Postures
- Non-welcoming, threatened kinesics.
- Closed to ideas and communication.
- Tense and distant.
- Deceitful and untrusting.
Eye contact not met or direct hard staring
Tight, asymmetrical, fast or no smile
Down and away or dropped glances
Not fully facing, at an angle
Leaning away
Hunched shoulders, chair tick
Too-stiff posture
Weak handshake
Chin into chest
Arms crossed or Legs crossed
Legs outstretched while seated, feet tapping into floor
Absent-minded gazes
“Fig leaf” posture
During everyday interactions posturing is a powerful tool and an easy sign that the person is "on your side."
Micro Expressions
- Expressions are a window into a person’s emotions.
- It is difficult to deceive with fake expressions because the face will give a person away with truthful and honest micro expressions.
- Micro expressions are ever present, but most people do not see them.
- A micro expression is a flash of emotion.
- If someone is asked how they are doing and they reply they are doing great when they are actually angry, they will flash a micro expression of anger, contradicting what they are actually saying.
- In essence, the face has a natural lie detector built right in it which will tell if someone is verbally lying.
- No matter how hard a person tries, they can't fake it out, or stop the true expressions from flashing themselves (unless of course they are a sociopath).
- Micro expressions flash across the face for less than a quarter of a second.
- A person may be uncomfortable expressing their true emotions or trying to conceal a particular emotion.