The Psychology of Smiling

Exploring Psychology



(Photo Credit: Alexander Kurashev)

One of the reasons I love psychology is that by definition it provides a whole host of information that you can relate to. Take something as simple as smiling for instance, we all do it (well most of us do and perhaps we've not been doing it as much lately) but have you ever thought about why you smile? I'm talking about a proper smile, not a false here comes the boss type smile.

Apparently there are two schools of thought concerning the psychology of smiling. These are:

1. Smiling is primarily an individual act. We smile as a result of an inner feeling of happiness.

2. Smiling is primarily a social act. We smile to let those around us know that we are happy.

So what do think?

Ingenious Research

In attempting to answer the why we smile question, Robert Kraut and Robert Johnston from Cornell University decided to go bowling! Kraut and Johnston realized that happiness associated with good bowling, say bowling a strike or a spare provided the pefect opportunity to test the individual Vs Social smiling hypotheses.

The logic behind conducting research in this context is simple but brilliant. At the moment you bowl a strike you are essentially alone, you're not facing anybody, you're looking at the fallen pins, that happiness is all yours. Then shortly after you turn to face your fellow bowlers, family, team mates etc, it's time to share your happiness.

And the winner is?

Social smiling. 4% of bowlers smiled after hitting a strike or spare when facing away from fellow players compared to 42% of bowlers who smiled when they turned round to face other people having hit a strike or spare.

In discussing his research findings Robert Kraut stated:

The smile is a facial response that is recognized around the globe and helps bind people together. We are indeed a "social animal," and the smile is a central way we communicate. I once did a study that blew up in my face because I asked a group of participants not to smile for three days – and they absolutely could not do it.

If you would like to read the smiling bowling alley research in full, you can do so by Clicking Here

When you're Smiling - The Whole World Smiles With You



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The Psychology of Smiling

Hierarchy of Needs: A Theory of Human Motivation by Abraham Maslow (The Psychology eBook Collection)

Exploring Psychology



When Abraham H. Maslow introduced the world to Humanistic Theory, a 'third force' in psychology was born (Behaviorism & Psychoanlytical theory being the first and second force). As the name suggests, humanistic theory concerns itself with characteristics which are distinctly human.

Arguably the best known example of such a characteristic is Self-Actualization, an innate motivating force unique to the human species. It was in this landmark publication that Maslow provided the first published representation of Self-Actualization at the pinnicle of a hierarchy of human needs.

You can download and read this classic psychology publication by Clicking Here

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Hierarchy of Needs: A Theory of Human Motivation by Abraham Maslow (The Psychology eBook Collection)

Basking in Reflected Glory: The BIRG Effect

Exploring Psychology



Photo Credit: Jeff the Trojan

Just read a really interesting study that was published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology back in 1976. The study by Robert B. Cialdini et al, examined the BIRG effect i.e., the tendency to "bask in reflected glory" (BIRG) by publicly announcing one's associations with successful others. In the field experiments conducted, the research team found that the BIRG effect occurred even though the person striving to bask in the glory of a successful source was not involved in the cause of the source's success.

Experiment 1 demonstrated the BIRG phenomenon by showing a greater tendency for university students to wear school identifying apparel after their school's football team had been victorious than non victorious and experiments 2 and 3 replicated the BIRG effect by showing that students used the pronoun "we" more when describing a victory than a non victory of their school's football team.

The BIRG effect was also observed by Professor Albert Harrison from the University of California when reviewing thousands of biographical entries in Who's Who. According to the biographical analysis many more people were born on Independence day, Christmas day and New Year's day than the days around these high profile dates. This statistical anomoly was apparently the result of some less than honest reporting by the great and good (including religious leaders!) who wanted to be associated with a nationally important day.

Click Here to read the 1976 BIRG effect article published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

Reflected Glory

Short film about two bands that impersonate the Beatles.

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Basking in Reflected Glory: The BIRG Effect

Transmission of Aggression Through Imitation of Aggressive Models By Albert Bandura: The Psychology eBook Collection

Exploring Psychology



Albert Bandura is widely considered the greatest living psychologist. In the early 1960's Albert Bandura began investigating aggression through imitation; research that gave rise to one of the most famous psychology experiments of all time.

You can download and read one of Albert Bandura's original research publications by Clicking Here

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Transmission of Aggression Through Imitation of Aggressive Models By Albert Bandura: The Psychology eBook Collection

The Say "Cheese" Guide To Avoiding Divorce

Exploring Psychology



(Photo Credit: Matthew Johnson)

Whether you're looking for your soul mate or you think you've already found them, you might want to take a closer look at their photographs before you do the whole marriage thing; because according to a study that has just been published in the journal of Motivation and Emotion, smile intensity in photographs predicts divorce later in life.

Abstract

Based on social–functional accounts of emotion, we conducted two studies examining whether the degree to which people smiled in photographs predicts the likelihood of divorce. Along with other theorists, we posited that smiling behavior in photographs is potentially indicative of underlying emotional dispositions that have direct and indirect life consequences. In the first study, we examined participants’ positive expressive behavior in college yearbook photos and in Study 2 we examined a variety of participants’ photos from childhood through early adulthood. In both studies, divorce was predicted by the degree to which subjects smiled in their photos.

(Matthew J. Hertenstein et al, DePauw University).

Be Careful Though!

Before you say "I do" to Mr or Ms smiley watch the following video for some alternative Funky Motown psychology - "Don't let the smile fool ya - Take my advice I'm only try' to school ya"

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The Say "Cheese" Guide To Avoiding Divorce

Here Comes The Rain Again - Falling On My Head Like A Memory

Exploring Psychology



(Photo Credit: Nick)

If a recently published study proves to be accurate then it follows that people living in Britain must have the best memory recall in the world.

In a simple recall test, researchers from The University of New South Wales found that participants were able to remember three times as many items on cold, windy, days as they were when conditions were bright and sunny. According to lead researcher Joseph Forgas:

We predicted and found that weather-induced negative mood improved memory accuracy...a worse mood helped to focus people's attention on their surroundings and led to a more thorough and careful thinking style, while happiness tended to reduce focus and increase both confidence and forgetfulness.

Click Here for more details on this research paper and to read the study's abstract in full.

As somebody from Northern England who now lives in Southern Spain I would like to add my support to this research as I have completely forgotten why I decided to move to another country!

Wait a Minute! I've just remembered



Incidentally, the music playing in the video above is Here comes the rain again by the Eurythmics, the first two lines of which are:

Here comes the rain again

Falling on my head like a memory

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Here Comes The Rain Again - Falling On My Head Like A Memory

Superstition in The Pigeon By B.F. Skinner: The Psychology eBook Collection

Exploring Psychology



Considered a learning theory classic, Superstition in The Pigeon By B.F. Skinner was first published in Journal of Experimental Psychology in 1948.

You can download and read Superstition in The Pigeon by B.F. Skinner for free by Clicking Here

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Superstition in The Pigeon By B.F. Skinner: The Psychology eBook Collection

Teaching Pigeons To Bowl. The Story of How B.F. Skinner Discovered Shaping

Exploring Psychology



Look at any list of the most eminent psychologists of the 20th Century and B.F Skinner will be towards the top of that list. Building on the seminal work of both Ivan Pavlov and John Watson, B.F Skinner became the leading exponent of behaviourism within psychology. At the heart of this influential theory is the core belief that human behavior is best understood in terms of responses to environmental stimuli.

In formulating his theories, B.F Skinner conducted numerous behaviour experiements with rats and pigeons, as can be seen in the following video.

We Are What We Do



Shaping

As alluded to in the above video clip a central tenet of Skinner's theory was shaping. This is the notion that reinforcement can be employed to elicit complex behavior and behavior that would not normally be exhibited. For instance in the video a pigeon's behaviour is shaped into ringing a bell by reinforcing with food closer and closer approximations to the desired behavior.

A Day of Great Illumination: B.F. Skinner's Discovery of Shaping

This is the title of a wonderful article written by Gail Peterson that was published in the Journal of The Experimental Analysis of Behavior, which having read it left me thinking "Well I Never!" The following passage article is taken form the introduction.

Despite the seminal studies of response differentiation by the method of successive approximation detailed in chapter 8 of The Behavior of Organisms (1938), B. F. Skinner never actually shaped an operant response by hand until a memorable incident of startling serendipity on the top floor of a flour mill in Minneapolis in 1943. That occasion appears to have been a genuine eureka experience for Skinner, causing him to appreciate as never before the significance of reinforcement mediated by biological connections with the animate social environment, as opposed to purely mechanical connections with the inanimate physical environment. This insight stimulated him to coin a new term (shaping)...Moreover, the insight seems to have emboldened Skinner to explore the greater implications of his behaviorism for human behavior writ large, an enterprise that characterized the bulk of his post-World War II scholarship.

You can read this fascinating article in full by Clicking Here



"Superstition" in The Pigeon by B.F. Skinner (1948)

I will be making this classic piece of research on learning theory available for free download as part of the psychology eBook collection.

The Psychology eBook Collection

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Teaching Pigeons To Bowl. The Story of How B.F. Skinner Discovered Shaping

Occupational Guide To Psychology: The Psychology eBook Collection

Exploring Psychology



The Occupational Guide To Psychology is an invaluable resource produced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The guide contains the latest information on a range of psychology topics including:

The Nature of Work Within Psychology

Training, Qualifications & Advancement

Employment Prospects

Earnings

Related Occupations

Sources of Additional Information

You can download and read the Occupational Guide To Psychology for free by Clicking Here

You can access the full eBook collection by clicking on the following link.

Psychology eBook Collection

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Occupational Guide To Psychology: The Psychology eBook Collection