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Microexpressions
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Microexpressions
The claim that microexpressions are universal across all cultures has been a topic of
debate among theorists after watching the videos on microexpressions. Being able to learn the
information provided in microexpression videos, I tend to agree with the thought that, indeed,
there are universal facial expressions. My opinion is grounded in the consistency of basic human
emotions and the biological underpinnings of facial expressions.
Microexpressions, as demonstrated in the videos, are rapid and involuntary facial
expressions that occur when a person is trying to conceal or repress an emotion. Paul Ekman
successfully identifies that basic emotions like happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, and
disgust have similar expressions regardless of the differences in the culture. This gives credence
to the supposition that there exist biological substrates underlying the various forms of
expressions and they have evolutional benefits (Signature Views, 2017). Some evidence that can
be used to support the generalization of these basic emotions include the case study that was
conducted by Ekman on the Fore people of New Guinea, who were an isolated community that
rarely interacted with the Western world. By identifying the pictures containing facial
expressions of different emotions, the Fore tribe members identified them correctly, which shows
that such behavior is inborn and is not acquired as a result of the person's exposure to other
cultures around the world.
Moreover, the videos demonstrate how Newsom and Persinger teach viewers the ways of
identifying a lie and interpreting genuine feelings beyond cultural differences. This is especially
helpful in international scenarios where one has to decipher whether the people mean what they
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say or are just being polite, for instance, in inter-economic negotiations, business or multicultural
environments. (Kim et al., 2022). Some critics would like to give credit to cultural differences
regarding the way feelings are displayed and perceived; the relative basic microexpressions seem
to indicate that everyone exposed to them shares a general understanding of these signals (Paul
Ekman Group,2021). It is in light of this background that this study examines the universality of
body language as an indication that human beings are pre-programmed and have emotions
genetically coded into their systems.
In conclusion, the evidence presented by Ekman and the practical applications of
microexpression analysis supports the claim that these expressions are universal. Realizing this
universality can open doors to better interactions between different people of two different
cultures and erase the instances of gaps between the two groups.
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References
Kim, H., Zhang, D., Kim, L., & Im, C. H. (2022). Classification of an Individual's discrete emotions
reflected in facial microexpressions using electroencephalogram and facial electromyogram.
Expert Systems with Applications, p. 188, 116101.
Signature Views. (2017, May 17). Interpreting microexpressions | Vanessa Van Edwards [Video].
YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dX7zIpHaAXE
Paul Ekman Group. (2021, July 6). Dr. Ekman explains micro expressions [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhv8Ftaq1LI
