User:Schu4639/Smile

A woman smiling.

A smile conveys some type of emotion; it is communication without words; it last a second but leaves a long lasting impression. When defined, a smile is a facial expression formed by flexing the muscles near both ends of the mouth. The smile can also be found around the eyes (See 'Duchenne smile' below). Among humans, it is customarily an expression denoting pleasure, happiness, or amusement, but can also be an involuntary expression of anxiety, in which case it is known as a grimace. Smiling is something that is understood by everyone despite culture, race, or religion; it is internationally known. Cross-cultural studies have shown that smiling is a means of communicating emotions throughout the world. But there are large differences between different cultures. A smile can also be spontaneous or artificial. Everyone has at one time in their life smiled, and it is not something we have learned, but more of a natural reaction to a positive experience.

Happiness is most often the motivating cause of a smile. 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. In chimpanzees, it can also be a sign of fear. The study of smiles is a part of gelotology, psychology, and linguistics, comprising various theories of affect, humor, and laughter. Work by John Gottman has shown that smiling and other such expressions of positive emotions are important to shaping relationships with others.

The Act of Smiling

From a friendly smile to a more romantic smile, there are many different smiles and different ways the act of smiling can be done. “Smiles can communicate feelings as different as love or contempt, pride or submission, flirtatiousness or polite tolerance.” At times, we walk down the street and smile at others just to be friendly; this is one of the easiest forms of demonstrating the act of smiling. The act of smiling is much more complex due to the fact that many people value their smile. The act of smiling goes hand in hand with the act of kindness; because at times, in order to put a smile on one’s face, we must do something for a person. By performing an act of kindness we might relieve a load of stress off someone’s shoulders and their day might be better and therefore they have something to smile about. Taking someone’s mind off their problems by conversing with them, taking them out, or even telling them a joke, can not only help release stress but put a smile on their face. Therefore, depending on the amount of stress one has, it will take more of an effort trying to put a smile on someone’s face. Next time you want to put a smile on someone’s face, either perform an act of kindness or think of a stress reliever. These are the two main ways of accomplishing the act of smiling. Smiling is something that is understood by everyone despite culture, race, or religion; "smiling is a global language… a smile can express everything.”

Smiling and Social Behavior

“Service with a Smile”---This has always been at the core of American businesses since the beginning of the 1900’s. Research continually proves that this is true; smiling really does increase attractiveness and likeability between humans. In fact, people who tend to smile produce what is called the halo effect, and this correlates with greater trust, greater financial earnings, and increased interpersonal cooperation. In a day and age of high stress due to cutbacks, high debt, and increasing family issues, employees are often required to face an angry and hostile public. But, a smile has power. Smiling while serving customers shows respect, patience, empathy, hospitality and compassion. It is the outward signal of an inward caring heart. When an employee smiles at a stressed customer, and exhibits excellent listening skills, most of the time, there is a report of total customer satisfaction. Research also reports that people receive more help when they smile. Even the smile of a stranger produces more “Good Samaritan” effects on the receiver. When you smile, even memory retrieval of your name is enhanced as is shown in neuroscience research, versus people who have neutral facial expressions.

Smiling and Laughter

In social contexts, smiling is related to laughter. In this situation, two kinds of smiling are analyzed: 1. Smiling is a pre-laughing device and is a common pattern for paving the way to laughter; 2. Smiling can be used as a response to laughter in the previous turn. Smiling and laughter have different functions in the order of sequence in social situations.

Smiling and Sex Appeal

Smiling is a signaling system that evolved from a need to communicate information of many different sorts. One of these is sexual advertisement. It has been proven that females smile reocurringly and often when they are attracted to another male. Smiles increase physical attractiveness and enhance sex appeal. A woman’s interest in a man can be predicted by the number of times she smiles.

Smiling in Hierarchical Social Behavior

Smiling behavior is closely connected to hierarchical social behavior. The dominant person in a social community will smile less than the underling in the hierarchy scale. Also in competitions, losers smile more than winners. Research shows that men also smile much less than women. Judges are more lenient in a courtroom with a smiling defendant. When children smile it can enhance monetary rewards and compliance from parents.

Real Smiles vs. Fake Smiles

A smile does indeed have great power and great social rewards. However, it has been proven that an authentic smile is much more effective than a counterfeit smile. A smile is an outward sign of perceived self-confidence and internal satisfaction. It seems to have a favorable influence upon others and makes one likeable and more approachable.

Duchenne Smiling

Guillaume Duchenne, discoverer of the Duchenne smile.

Although many different types of smiles have been identified and studied, researchers (e.g. Freitas-Magalhaes) have devoted particular attention to an anatomical distinction first recognized by French physician Guillaume Duchenne. While conducting research on the physiology of facial expressions in the mid-19th century, Duchenne identified two distinct types of smiles. A Duchenne smile involves contraction of both the zygomatic major muscle (which raises the corners of the mouth) and the orbicularis oculi muscle (which raises the cheeks and forms crow's feet around the eyes). A non-Duchenne smile involves only the zygomatic major muscle. “Research with adults initially indicated that joy was indexed by generic smiling, any smiling involving the raising of the lip corners by the zygomatic major…. More recent research suggests that smiling in which the muscle around the eye contracts, raising the cheeks high (Duchenne smiling), is uniquely associated with positive emotion.”

Dimples

A man smiling, with dimples.

Cheek dimples are visible indentations of the epidermis, caused by underlying flesh, which form on some people's cheeks, especially when they smile. Dimples are genetically inherited and are a dominant trait. A rarer form is the single dimple, which occurs on one side of the face only. Anatomically, dimples may be caused by variations in the structure of the facial muscle known as zygomaticus major. Specifically, the presence of a double or bifid zygomaticus major muscle may explain the formation of cheek dimples. This bifid variation of the muscle originates as a single structure from the zygomatic bone. As it travels anteriorly, it then divides with a superior bundle that inserts in the typical position above the corner of the mouth. An inferior bundle inserts below the corner of the mouth.

Pan-Am Smile

The Pan-Am smile, also known as the "Botox smile", is the name given to a "fake smile", in which only the zygomatic major muscle is voluntarily contracted to show politeness. It is named after the airline Pan American World Airways, whose flight attendants would always flash every jet-setter the same, faked smile.