SMILES

Research into smiles.

Definition:

Noun: A pleased, kind, or amused facial expression, typically with the corners of the mouth turned up and the front teeth exposed.

Verb: Form one's features into a pleased, kind, or amused expression, typically with the corners of the mouth turned up: "smiling faces".

Biology in a smile:

There are 53 named muscles of facial expression. Smiling takes 12 muscles. The 12 muscles used to make you smile are the Zygomaticus major and minor (4), Orbicularis oculi (2), Levator labii superioris (2), Levator anguli oris (2) and Risorius (2). Did you know that frowning uses only 11 muscles? But since people tend to smile more than frown, the smile muscles are in better shape

Smiling in Cultures:

While smiling is perceived as a positive emotion most of the time, there are many cultures that perceive smiling as a negative expression and consider it unwelcoming. Too much smiling can be viewed as a sign of shallowness or dishonesty.[9] Japanese people may smile when they are confused or angry. In other parts of Asia, people may smile when they are embarrassed. Some people may smile at others to indicate a friendly greeting. A smile may be reserved for close friends and family members. Many people in the former Soviet Union area consider smiling at strangers in public to be unusual and even suspicious behavior. Yet many Americans smile freely at strangers in public places (although this is less common in big cities). Some Russians believe that Americans smile in the wrong places; some Americans believe that Russians don't smile enough. In Southeast Asian and Indian cultures, a smile is frequently used to cover emotional pain or embarrassment.

Insight into a smile:

Happiness is most often the motivating cause of a smile. However, there are many exceptions, especially among animals. The exposure of teeth, which may bear a resemblance to a smile, is often used as a threat or warning display—known as a snarl—or a sign of submission. For chimpanzees, it can also be a sign of fear. The study of smiles is a part of gelotology, psychology, andlinguistics, comprising various theories of affect, humor, and laughter.[16] Smiling can also be interpreted as nervousness in an animal—humans also smile as a result of nervousness, embarrassment and even frustration.[17] In one study, created to investigate the correspondence between perceived meanings of smiles and their morphological and dynamic characteristics, it was found that “perceived embarrassed/nervous smiles had greater amplitude, longer duration…related to those perceived as polite.”[18][19] Work by John Gottman has shown that smiling and other such expressions of positive emotions are important to shaping relationships with others; researchers could predict the quality of marriages many years into the future based on the number of such interactions (see also agreeableness)

Smiling in Animals:

Barbary macaques demonstrate an open mouth display as a sign of playfulness which likely has similar roots and purposes as the human smile. Neither dogs nor chimps smile. For them exposing the teeth is a threat display, pure and simple. What we call a snarl. It is true that some dogs and chimps can be trained, often unintentionally, to grin because humans want them to, but it isn't a natural doggy or ape expression of pleasure. That is a lot like saying that humans aren't the only animals to ride bicycles because we can train dogs and chimps to do so. And if we are allowing trained animals then I suspect that almost any mammal could be trained to grin with a little patience. I can't think of any species that naturally show their teeth as an expression of pleasure or genial greeting.

Fun Facts:

Forcing yourself to smile can boost your mood: Psychologists have found that even if you’re in bad mood, you can instantly lift your spirits by forcing yourself to smile.

It boosts your immune system: Smiling really can improve your physical health, too. Your body is more relaxed when you smile, which contributes to good health and a stronger immune system.

Smiles are contagious: It’s not just a saying: smiling really is contagious, scientists say. In a study conducted in Sweden, people had difficulty frowning when they looked at other subjects who were smiling, and their muscles twitched into smiles all on their own.

Smiles Relieve Stress: Your body immediately releases endorphins when you smile, even when you force it. This sudden change in mood will help you feel better and release stress.

It’s easier to smile than to frown: Scientists have discovered that your body has to work harder and use more muscles to frown than it does to smile.

It’s a universal sign of happiness: While hand shakes, hugs, and bows all have

varying meanings across cultures, smiling is known around the world and in all cultures as a sign of happiness and acceptance.

We still smile at work: While we smile less at work than we do at home, 30% of subjects in a research study smiled five to 20 times a day, and 28% smiled over 20 times per day at the office.

Smiles use from 5 to 53 facial muscles: Just smiling can require your body to use up to 53 muscles, but some smiles only use 5 muscle movements.

Babies are born with the ability to smile: Babies learn a lot of behaviors and sounds from watching the people around them, but scientists believe that all babies are born with the ability, since even blind babies smile.

Smiling helps you get promoted: Smiles make a person seem more attractive, sociable and confident, and people who smile more are more likely to get a promotion.

Smiles are the most easily recognizable facial expression: People can recognize smiles from up to 300 feet away, making it

the most easily recognizable facial expression.

Women smile more than men: Generally, women smile more than men, but when they participate in similar work or social roles, they smile the same amount. This finding leads scientists to believe that gender roles are quite flexible. Boy babies, though, do smile less than girl babies, who also make more eye contact.

Smiles are more attractive than makeup: A research study conducted by Orbit Complete discovered that 69% of people find women more attractive when they smile than when they are wearing makeup.

There are 19 different types of smiles: UC-San Francisco researcher identified 19 types of smiles and put them into two categories: polite “social” smiles which engage fewer muscles, and sincere “felt” smiles that use more muscles on both sides of the face.

Babies start smiling as newborns: Most doctors believe that real smiles occur when babies are awake at the age of four-to-six weeks, but babies start smiling in their sleep as soon as they’re born.