Psychologists have discovered a simple trick to make yourself more likeable and socially successful. But beyond helping us make a better first impression, these findings may also offer insights into our own evolution.
First impressions can be made in less than a second. And, according to new research from Nottingham Trent University in the U.K., our use of facial expressions may significantly contribute to how much people like us.
The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, was split into two parts. In the first part, 52 participants were recorded in semi-structured video calls to capture their natural reactions and expressions to everyday scenarios. The same individuals were then asked to record a range of facial expressions with an intent to achieve various social goals, such as looking friendly or disagreeing without being disliked.
Participants were then assessed for their facial expressivity and their video clips were shown to a group of 170 individuals, who were asked to rate the participants on how readable and likeable they were.
In the second part of the study, the researchers analyzed an existing dataset of unscripted video conversation between 1,456 strangers, where conversation partners rated how much they liked each other. Again, these likeability ratings were analyzed in relation to the facial expressiveness of the individuals.
In both parts of the study, those with the most expressive faces were rated as being the most likeable.
"We think this preference could possibly be related to facially expressive people being more predictable," psychology research fellow Eithne Kavanagh, the first author on the study, told Newsweek. "If we are able to read another person well because they are communicating their inner thoughts and states through facial expression, then we should be able to navigate that social relationship better, and possibly form a better social bond with them."
She added that this was the first large-scale study of its kind to analyze facial expressiveness in real-world interactions. "Our evidence shows that facial expressivity is related to positive social outcomes," she said. "It suggests that more expressive people are more successful at attracting social partners and in building relationships. It also could be important in conflict resolution."
Exactly why some of us are more facially expressive than others is a bit of a mystery, but it is potentially something that develops at a young age. Facial expressiveness also appeared to be related to several other personality traits.
"Our research shows that people who are more facially expressive also seem to be more agreeable, extraverted and neurotic," Kavanagh said. "We think it's possible that facial expressiveness may be related to the more social nature of these traits; more agreeable and extraverted people are more socially-oriented, and more neurotic people might be more socially anxious (although this is a post-hoc interpretation as we weren't quite expecting the relationship with neuroticism). So, these people could be using facial expressivity to bond socially with others."
Bridget Waller, a professor of psychology at Nottingham Trent and the senior author of the study, added that these findings may offer interesting insights into why our species have evolved such an extensive library of facial expressions compared to other animals.
"This research is important in evolutionary terms as it may explain why humans have developed more complex facial expression than any other species," Waller said in a statement. "It helps us to create stronger bonds and better navigate the social world."
So, how can you tell how facially expressive you are?
"We think that people may not be great at judging their own facial expressivity objectively, so you would probably need a video recording of yourself, preferably conversing with another person," Kavanagh said. "In the recording, try to pay attention to how much you move your facial muscles—how much you smile, raise your eyebrows, wrinkle your nose etc, and compare that to others."
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