When we tell someone they wear their emotions on their sleeve, we really mean their face. This is important because your emotional expressions impact the way others view you. When it comes to evaluating other people, we are likely to be more perceptive when meeting someone in person, versus viewing a photo. And we may like them better if we see not just their features, but their expressionâespecially if it is not always the same.
When it comes to judging credibility through reading someoneâs face, do people prefer expressive or detached? Or do they prefer a range of emotions on display?
We automatically generate first impressions from the faces of others. Overall people do not simply consider the average of facial expressions to judge an individual, they also draw inferences from the many different expressions someone shows.
The more you show a variety of expressions creates a perception that someone is more authentic, likely genuinely displaying their true emotions rather than putting on an act. People are evaluated more favorably when they express a variety of emotions.
Expressions of emotional variety not only increased favorable social impressions but also decreased negative social impressions, such as unfriendliness.
We are naturally inclined to perceive as much information as we can when forming new relationships, and itâs not only the eyes that we perceive to be the windows to the soul; itâs the entire face. And when it comes to expressions, change is good, and more is better.
Because healthy relationships require both looking and listening when you meet someone who appears to be authentic, you can establish your observations through conversation, to learn more about the individual behind the expressions.
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