Have you ever heard of Paul Ekman or seen the TV show Lie to me? *Note, show not appropriate for most children or highly sensitive adults. If you have, you probably have a decent idea as to what micro and macro expressions are.
A macro expression is the normal facial expression you notice that lasts between ½ a second to 4 seconds. These are fairly easy to notice and tend to match the tone and content of what is being said.
A micro expression is an involuntary facial expressions that lasts less than half a second. These expressions are often missed altogether but they reveal someones true feelings about what they are saying. Micro expressions are what we might pick up on (without fully realizing it) that can cause gut reactions in social situations. People with ADHD are highly sensitive to micro expressions. This is one of the reasons they can be so quick to judge as well as quick to anger! Want to learn more about ADHD sensitivity- click here to learn more on how to parent the argumentative ADHD child.
There are seven expressions that are universal to all humans no matter which country they are born: anger, fear, disgust, sadness, happiness, surprise, and contempt. Learning to recognize these micro and macro expressions can really strengthen your emotional awareness and allow you to detect deception.
It’s incredible how much more to communication there is than words. From facial expressions to gestures, to the clothes you wear, it is all body language. Yet again, your body language and expressions can convey feelings you meant to conceal or maybe you didn’t even know you felt. For instance, when someone is not confident in what they are saying or know that they are lying, they may take a step backwards as if stepping back from the situation. Another example is a person talking about losing their job and being very sad, but then you see their lips curl upwards into a smile for a fraction of a second. This would be a slip in their desired display of sadness and a micro expression. This might hint that they are actually happy or relieved about being unemployed. This hint of their true feelings may actually lead you to believe that they may have done something to be fired! Your expressions and body language convey a lot more than we even consciously recognize. It’s important to start understanding how your non-verbal communications are affecting the message you put out.
Here are just a few facts that Paul Ekman discusses regarding micro and macro expressions.
Surprise
– Eyebrows are raised and arched
– wrinkles on forehead are horizontal
– mouth open without any tensions, a little bit of space between teeth
Fear
- Eyebrows are raised and pushed together, no arches
- Wrinkles between eyebrows
- Eyes have only upper white showing
- Mouth is open and lips tensed or lips are stretched and pulled back
Disgust
- Eyes narrowed
- Upper lip raised
- Nose wrinkled
- Cheeks raised
Anger
- Eyebrows are lowered and pulled together
- Lips are pressed together with corners either pointed down or in a square shape
- Vertical lines between eyebrows
- Eyes are in a hard stare or possibly bulging
- Nostrils can be dilated
Happiness
- Corners of lips pulled back and up
- Cheeks raised
- Wrinkle from outer nose to outer lip
- Wrinkles beside eyes (real happiness occurs when you smile from your eyes)
- Lower eyelid may be wrinkled or tense
Sadness
- Eyebrows drawn together and inner corner angled upwards
- Corner of lips are drawn down
- Lower lip pops out
- Jaw comes up
Contempt
- One side of mouth is raised
If you are interested in learning more about micro expressions and how to get trained in reading them follow this link to the Paul Ekman Group website! Micro and macro expressions are essential in Michelle’s work in parenting kids with ADHD and PDA.