EAP (English for Academic Purposes) Adesti Komalasari, S.Pd., M.A.

Micro expressions are very brief facial expressions, lasting only a fraction of a second. They occur when a person
either deliberately or unconsciously conceals a feeling. Seven emotions have universal signals: anger, fear, sadness,
disgust, contempt, surprise and happiness. You can learn to spot them.

History
Haggard and Isaacs were the first to describe micro expressions, they used to call it micro momentary
expressions. They explained the appearance of micros as the result of repression; the patient did not know how
he or she was feeling. Haggard and Isaacs also implied that these fleeting expressions could not be recognized in
real time, but Ekman and Friesen later showed that, with training, anyone could learn to see micros when they
occurred. Ekman and Friesen also broadened the explanation of why micros occur.
Micro expressions happen when people have hidden their feelings from themselves (repression) or when they
deliberately try to conceal their feelings from others. Importantly, both instances look the same; you cannot tell
from the expression itself whether it is the product of suppression ( deliberate concealment) or repression
(unconscious concealment).

Types
Macro : normal expressions usually last between -second and 4 seconds. They often repeat, and fit with what
is said and the sound of the persons voice.
Micro : These are very brief, usually lasting between 1/15 and 1/25 of a second. They often display a concealed
emotion and are the result of suppression or repression.
False : A deliberately-made simulation of an emotion not being felt.
Masked : A false expression made to cover a macro expression.

Why are Micro Expressions Important?

Learning to spot micro expressions can help you:

Improve your emotional intelligence

One of the keys to improving emotional intelligence is developing skills which help you understand the
human face. Unlike language or gesture the face is a universal system of signals which reflect the moment-
to-moment fluctuations in a persons emotional state. Learning how to read micro expressions will help you
recognize feelings in others and, at the same time, you will likely become more aware of your own feelings.
Develop your capacity for empathy
Emotions play a key role in all of our interactions. Common expressions on the face macro expressions
may not accurately portray how someone is feeling. When you can recognize the fleeting and more evasive
expressions that arise, you become more sensitive to the range of emotions others wish you to know they
are feeling. You also become more skilled at noticing when an emotion is just beginning, when an emotion
is being concealed, and when a person is unaware of what they are actually feeling. These are skills that can
help you become more sensitive to the real feelings of others, and to let others know, when appropriate,
that they are truly seen. Recent research by Helen Reiss and others has shown that physicians ability to
recognize emotion from briefly presented facial expressions predicted patients ratings of the physicians
empathy.
EAP (English for Academic Purposes) Adesti Komalasari, S.Pd., M.A.

Spot Concealed Emotions

When someone tries to conceal his or her emotions, leakage of that emotion will often be evident in that
persons face. The leakage may be limited to one region of the face (a mini or subtle expression), or may be
a quick expression flashed across the whole face (a micro expression). Most people do not recognize these
important clues, but, with training, you can learn to spot them as they occur. See Paul Ekmans book Telling
Lies for a full analysis of these and other clues of concealment and deceit.
Improve your relationships
The face offers the best window we have on how other people are feeling. Improving your ability to
recognize others emotions will increase the intimate understanding that allows you to connect with other
people. Research has also found that people who learned to spot micro expressions were better liked by
co-workers.
Understand others
Dr. Ekmans research has shown that we often miss facial expressions when they contradict words being
spoken. Yet facial micro expressions are a universal system everybody has them, and they warrant our
attention. Even people from vastly different cultures, people who dont speak your language, still have the
same emotions and will show the same expressions. When you learn to recognize micro expressions,
spotting the discrepancies between what you hear and what you see applies across the board from
friends and family to total strangers.
Recognize and better manage your own emotions
Learning to recognize facial expressions of emotion in others helps you learn to recognize your own
emotions. Dr. Ekmans research reveals that simply mimicking an emotion by manipulating ones own facial
expressions will initiate the physiological experience of that emotion youll feel it arise within yourself.
When you purposefully train yourself to link facial expressions with internal experience, you improve your
conscious awareness of your internal emotions. Thus, you improve your chances of recognizing when you
are becoming emotionally triggered. This awareness can help you manage the expression of your emotions.
Develop Social Skills
Individuals on the autism spectrum have benefited greatly with micro expression training, most notably
with the Subtle Expression Training Tool (eSETT). People with schizophrenia have also shown positive
results. Research done by Tamara Russell and others has found that training with Ekmans Micro Expression
Training Tool (eMETT) enabled people with schizophrenia to recognize emotion in others on par with
normal persons. View our research page for further studies.

Adapted from http://www.paulekman.com/micro-expressions/