Seventeenth International Conference on New Directions in the Humanities

Abstract

Facial expressions are one of the easiest and most accurate ways humans have to communicate, yet most of this is subconscious. When it comes to trying to consciously identify the motives and meanings behind facial expressions, the lines between them become much foggier. The subliminal recognition may have lead to a drastic increase in the understanding of interaction, yet there are still questions regarding why humans make certain facial expressions and how we categorize them today. While there remain many mysteries regarding the universality and meaning of facial expressions, there have been some fascinating findings in the world of expression as well. One of the most prominent research questions surrounding facial expressions has been regarding their universality. While some studies show a link between different cultures and the ability to match facial expressions with emotions, the studies may be problematic and other studies have shown the opposite. However, I would like not to focus this paper on the universality of all facial expressions in all cultures, but the similarities between extreme emotions of the positive and negative variety. Various social and cultural practices may affect this theory, but positive and negative facial expressions may look similar to convey signals of vulnerability. Throughout this paper, I use history and primatology to explore the evolutionary origin of facial expressions, as well as some problems in the literature, to help come to a conclusion about why negative and positive facial expressions look similar.