Facial Expressions
What is the Facial Action Coding System?
The Facial Action Coding System (FACS) is a globally recognised tool used to measure and analyse the full range of human facial expressions. Developed in the 1970s by psychologists Paul Ekman and Wallace V. Friesen, FACS provides a detailed framework for understanding how facial muscles contribute to the display of emotions. It remains the most […]
Basic Emotion Theory vs. Social Construct Perspectives
Welcome to our exploration of the fascinating world of emotions, where the tapestry of human experience is woven with threads of joy, sadness, anger, disgust, and fear. Amidst this intricate emotional landscape lies a fundamental question: are these emotions innate and universal, or are they shaped by our social world? And so we begin the […]
Body Language Myth Buster
Cutting through the myths and flawed research within the field of body language and behaviour analysis Social media and conflicting research in body language prompted me to help researchers, and organisations cut through the myths floating around – many based on research with flawed logic. There seem to be four popular myths which I have […]
Babies – an insight into their smiles, gaze and emotional development
This is an emotional intelligence focused post that aims to summarise the development and progression you may want to aim for if you want your child to be awesome. The more we understand about a child’s emotional and social development, the more we can provide what is needed in order for them to develop into […]
Basic Behaviour Analysis for the First 7 Seconds of Zoom Meetings
It’s Monday morning and you open up a ‘Zoom’ virtual video chat with a work colleague with a smile on your face, gently enquiring, “Good morning, how are you?”. Your colleague snaps back, “I AM… FINE!!”, using a loud tone that has an edge to it. Unless this is normal (baseline) behaviour for this person […]
Artificial Intelligence and human behaviour
Many advertisers, tech giants, and border forces are using varying types of software in an attempt to monitor our emotions or detect whether we are being dishonest. The justification for this invasion on our privacy is that these systems will make our lives easier, safer, and even more enjoyable. The issue, however, is that all […]
Are emotions and facial expressions hardwired?
There are a few myths, and a few dodgy articles around from researchers that are confusing practitioners working in artificial intelligence, marketing, tech, airport security, and human communications industries. A. “We don’t need to train humans – technology can read faces and detect truth, lies and malintent”. B. “Facial expressions aren’t universal – as different […]
Fake tears or real sadness?
In a recent Discovery Channel documentary series, the team analysed the behaviour of some of the worlds most widely known criminals (all of which pleaded their innocence). While conducting their analysis they picked up on a fascinating behavioural tell that was consistent across six of the subjects who were lying about their involvement. Cliff Lansley, one […]
Universal indicators of shame – a blend of Sadness and Embarrassment?
There is widespread acceptance in the scientific community that there are universal indicators for seven basic emotions, though there is little evidence to suggest the same for shame. Shame has been argued to be “an affect – an emotion or feeling – not a thought, drive or interpersonal phenomenon per se”[1] (Kaufman, 1980). This is […]
The Seven Universal Facial Expressions
Step into the world of facial expressions, where every subtle movement, from a smile to a furrowed brow, conveys a wealth of information without a word being spoken. Our faces, powered by 43 intricate muscles, become the silent narrators of our emotions and thoughts. This complex interplay of voluntary and involuntary muscle movements serves as […]
When others tell lies – They can’t help but leak the truth.
Think for a moment of a few interpretations of each of these following phrases. Assume that they are said to you by a close friend, or from your spouse or domestic partner: “Are you hungry?” “I hate you” “Go ahead”. The first statement could be a genuine interest in your need for food, or it […]
Karen Matthews…The real Victim?
Any mother who can allow her child to be open to the abuse Shannon suffered must feel guilty or be evil. I believe that Karen was rightfully convicted following some great police work. However, I have examined the videos and case history and feel we still do not have the full truth here. Between the […]
A Behavioral Analysis of Ryan Lochte
4 behavioral indicators that showed Ryan Lochte had more to tell. I’m sure you are aware by now that the ‘armed robbery’ of 4 of the USA swimming team during the Rio Olympics has been found out to be completely false. Whilst the swimmers have now admitted their mistake after being caught out by CCTV, […]
Identifying a genuine smile
A smile is the universal signal of enjoyment, excitement, happiness, and joy….But, not all smiles mean a person is happy. There are some different scenarios when one may display a smile without feeling any happiness at all. For example, this may be out of politeness, or more ironically, used to mask an unpleasant emotion. How then, can we trust a […]
Reading Others – Making Sense of Truth and Lies in an L&D setting
What is it that we see and hear from others that helps us believe they are being truthful? A successful coach or L&D practitioner needs to be able to accurately read the information or feedback given off by their coachee or learner in a variety of settings. But how do you ensure that you capture all that […]
Can Developing Emotional Skills Help Those with Autism?
Below is an an account from a delegate who attended our Emotional Skills and Competencies workshop. This delegate (who will remain nameless) talks about their experience of managing Aspergers, and the value of developing emotional skills. Letter begins: I would like to report on how thoroughly deep is the impact of the ESaC training on my […]