Smiles Across the World

Nonverbal Communication

Smiles Across the World

Smile:A smile is a universal facial

expression that communicates

happiness

People smile for many other reasons

such as smiling for a picture or if

they find something funny or

amusing

Sometimes people smile out of

embarrassment

A smile can often be used as a sign

of confidence or agreement

Winning smile

Welcoming smile

Smug smile

Pleased smile

Triumphant smile

Flirtatious smile

Apologetic smile

Painted on smile

Grin

Smirk

Approval smile

Heart-warming smile

Scornful smile

Plastic smile

Gloating smile

Embarrassed smile

Loving smileJoyous smile

What Does a Smile Communicate?

Researchers claim facial expressions are innate, not something babies learn to

do by watching the people around them

Did We Learn to Smile?

Our facial expressions are

a system of unconscious

communication that

scientists say developed

before our language and

even before our birth.

Athletes who were born blind smile with victory just like athletes who can see. We also

instantly return a smile, even before our conscious brain is aware of the emotion being

expressed.

Paris physician Guillaume B.A. Duchenne was treating a

patient with facial neuralgia in the 1840’s when he noticed

that electrical current caused the underlying muscle to

contract and cause facial expressions.

(wikimedia.org)

The current was too painful for experiments on living

patients. So Duchenne, started to work with the freshly

severed heads of executed criminals.

The cadavers didn’t display the sort of joyful smile

Duchenne would later describe as "put in play by the

sweet emotions of the soul." But by applying electrodes

he found he could make the muscles contract into facial

expressions, including the smile. (Conniff 2007)

Anatomy of a Smile

“Duchenne demonstrated for the first time the nature of human facial expressions.

He argued that smiling, and other expressions, constitute a universal language,

"which neither fashions nor whims can change . . . the same in all people, in

savages and civilized nations." (Conniff 2007)

(wikimedia.org)

A smile is a universal language but not all

cultures are as free to smile as others

People may feel a duty to smile in some situations;

in others, a smile may not be expected. Such

differences vary in different countries and

demonstrate that smiling reflects important cultural

differences.

Duchenne

In Western cultures it’s polite to smile

when meeting someone. Smiles are

necessary when greeting or having a

polite conversation.

The more a person smiles the more

friendly he/she is perceived

In some cultures people have learned to control their

natural instinct to smile.

Some Asian cultures smile less because of social

pressure that discourages emotional displays.

In Japan a smile is not seen as often as in America.

Japanese people living in the United States pick up on the

American tradition of smiling and tend to smile more than those

living in Japan.

Bejing University Facebook

Volunteers in China are learning how to smile for the upcoming Olympics in Beijing. They’ve been

getting training on how to smile by biting down on chopsticks. They are told to show only eight teeth

in order to appear friendly without looking "goofy.“

Russians don’t smile out of politeness. It’s considered in poor taste to smile

without a reason. A constant polite smile is considered a “smile on duty” in

Russia and shows people’s insincerity, and unwillingness to show real feelings.

•It’s not typical for Russians

to smile at a person whose

eyes meet by chance

•A Russian does not

normally give a smile in

return

•Russians do not smile

when working or doing

something serious

Moscow State University Facebook

(Levine and Adelman 1993)

A Russian smile shows that a smiling person likes you or they are close to you. Russians

do not normally show that type of affection to strangers.

“It’s a complicated relationship”

A Russian smile is a sign of personal attraction

In Russia a smile is the expression of either high spirits or a good attitude to a partner.

A Russian needs a reason to smile, which is evident to others. It gives a person the right to

smile from others’ point of view.

The Russian language has the unique proverb missing in other languages, “Laughter without

reasons is the sign of foolishness or psychological problems.”

Indian Prime Minister

Manmohan Singh

(Wierzbicka 1998)

In Germany a smile for no particular reason will not get a reaction or a smile in return. If

there is a reason to smile the Germans will do so but they find our American culture too

quick to smile.

Ludwig Maximilians University Facebook

The smile (yim in Thai) is perceived in

Thailand as being the most

appropriate reaction to any possible

situation.

It's used to show

happiness, embarrassment, fear, tensi

on, resignation, and remorse.

Who Smiles the Most?

In American, English, and Finnish countries smiles are

necessary when greeting or having a polite conversation.

Bangkok, Thailand

Austin College Facebook

Age and Gender Differences

• In all cultures there is a

tendency for women and

children to smile and use more

nonverbal gestures than men

• In children - both sexes smile

equally

• Studies show women are

more emotionally expressive

and sensitive than men and

that’s why they smile more

often. (Manusov and Patterson

2006)

• Older women smile less than

younger women

• Women also receive more

smiles from others than men

(Manusov and Patterson 2006)

Can you identify these?

“Everyone smiles in the same language”~Author Unknown

“Wear a smile and have friends; wear a scowl and have wrinkles”

~George Eliot

“The shortest distance between two people is a smile”

~Author Unknown

Peace begins with a smile

~Mother Teresa

Abel, M. H. (2002). An empirical reflection on the smile. Mellen studies in psychology, v. 4. Lewiston: Edwin Mellen

Press.

Conniff, Richard. (2007). What’s behind a smile?. Smithsonian. 38. 46-53. Retrieved

April 4, 2008, from Readers' Guide database.

Ekman, P., & Rosenberg, E. L. (1997). What the face reveals: basic and applied studies of spontaneous expression

using the facial action coding system (FACS). Series in affective science. New York: Oxford University Press.

Google Images. (2008). Retrieved April 5, 2008, from http://images.google.com/.

Hinde, R. A. (1972). Non-verbal communication. Cambridge [Eng.]: University Press.

Levine, D. R., & Adelman, M. B. (1993). Beyond language: cross-cultural communication. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.:

Prentice Hall Regents.

Manusov, V. L., & Patterson, M. L. (2006). The SAGE handbook of nonverbal communication. Thousand Oaks, Calif:

Sage Publications.

The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. (2008). Beijing 2008. Retrieved April 12, 2008, from

http://en.beijing2008.cn/

Uba, L. (1994). Asian Americans: personality patterns, identity, and mental health. New York: Guilford Press.

Wierzbicka, Anna. (1998). Russian emotional expression. Ethos. 26. 456-483. Retrieved April 4, 2008, from JSTOR

database.

Wikimedia. (2008). Duchenne de Boulogne. Retrieved April 5, 2008, from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/.

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