How to Interpret Eye Movement
Fear, anger, happiness, contempt, surprise, disgust, sadness: these are the 7 major categories of emotion, the facial expressions associated with each recognizable by people of all cultures. But since emotions are seldom expressed singly, psychologist Dr. Paul Ekman, world-renowned expert on analyzing facial expressions, has compiled a database of more than 10,000 "blended" expressions. The eyes play a major role in all non-verbal communication, but how good are we at interpreting what they tell us? Very poor, studies have revealed, as the vast majority of people score only slightly over 50 percent. But there are steps we can take to improve our odds.
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Instructions
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The Unspoken Language of Eyes
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Discard common myths and preconceptions. Liars don't necessarily avoid eye contact, have a "shifty" gaze, blink rapidly, squint, look upward or cover their eyes when trying to deceive. In fact, since all self-respecting liars know that most people consider eye aversion an indication of deception, they are more likely to look you straight in the eye when they lie. Experts warn that concentrating on these "false cues" can allow real indicators of deception to slip by unnoticed.
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Determine an individual baseline of normal eye expressions. You won't be able to identify eye movements that are out of the ordinary until you know what is normal, a simpler task when dealing with someone you know than with a stranger. For example, a genuine smile will involve many facial muscles and always be reflected in the eyes, tightening the eyelids and pulling down the outside corners of the brows. A polite or insincere smile, on the other hand, will seldom reach all the way up to the eyes. For photographs of Paul Ekman's daughter Eve demonstrating the seven "macro" facial expressions and the eyes that accompany each, see Resources.
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Watch for deviations from the baseline. Many of us may sense when someone's words and facial expressions are sending mixed messages--a smile can be contemptuous, for example, or the wide-open eyes of surprise may be blended with expressions of anger and disgust--but dismiss intuition, which may come from our unconscious minds in response to real cues. Zero in on exactly which eye expressions or movements don't seem to agree with spoken words before deciding that it's all in your head.
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Teach yourself to recognize "micro-expressions." Even though there may be no obvious signs of deception in the innocent-looking eyes of someone trying to deceive, many muscles responsible for facial expressions are hard-wired into the brain and beyond voluntary control. When we are attracted to someone or something, for instance, our pupils dilate (widen) to let in more light, even if we are trying not to show interest. According to Ekman, fleeting "micro-expressions" lasting no more than a fraction of a second almost always tell the truth, although most people need training and practice to spot them.
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Beware of jumping to conclusions. Deception detection from facial expressions is an inexact but evolving science, and even experts with long experience in separating truth from lies--police officers, lawyers, FBI and CIA agents--need specialized training to improve their accuracy. Nervousness, shyness, fear, distraction or disinclination to talk about a painful subject can all result in eye movements and facial expressions suggesting dishonesty, if that's what the questioner is looking for and expecting to find.
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References
- Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Eye Movement and Criminal Interrogation (Q & A)
- Psychology Today (Article "The Body Language of the Eyes," December 11, 2009)
- Discover Magazine (The Physiology of Facial Expressions, Jan. 2005)
- Dr. Paul Ekman's website
- Psychology Today (Ten Politically Incorrect Truths About Human Nature, July 1, 2007)
Resources
- Photo Credit eyes image by PD-Images.com from Fotolia.com
