About Revealing Face Expressions

Facial expressions can change in a fraction of a second. These quickies are true expressions that leak through a forced fake expression. For example, a fake smile of greeting can change almost instantly to a not-you-again look of contempt and back to the fake smile in a fraction of a second.

Research using stop-motion video recordings have identified fleeting moments of contempt between men and women partners. Their facial expressions and words were congenial 99.9% of the time but momentary flashes only the camera caught were evident showing contempt for their partner. This contempt showed up as a very quick jerk of the buccinator face muscles that pull the lip corners back and creates a sneering look. Using such a technique, researcher and psychologist John Gottman can analyze fifteen minutes of interaction between couples and predict with 85% accuracy whether they will be divorced within six years!