Social Engineering Blogs

An Aggregator for Blogs About Social Engineering and Related Fields

Lie to Me is filled with “Lies to You” -Dr. Maureen O’Sullivan

Some of you may know the late Dr. Maureen O’Sullivan, who was a Professor Emeritus of the University of San Francisco.

Dr. O’Sullivan is widely known for her work with Dr. Paul Ekman on the “Wizards Project”, where they identified Truth Wizards. Truth Wizards are those that are exceptionally good at detecting deception. One of these truth wizards, Eyes for Lies, has a popular blog where she comments on current new events.

We came across this informative lecture by Dr. O’Sullivan where she speaks about the TV show “Lie to Me” and her career researching human emotion and lie detection.

Humintell director Dr. Matsumoto has also done research with Dr. O’Sullivan. Notably in 2008, they co-wrote a chapter in the Handbook of Emotion called Facial Expressions of Emotion. The chapter was written with other researchers Dr. Dacher Keltner, Dr. Michelle N. Shiota, and Dr. Mark Frank. You can read the complete chapter here.

Thanks to Steve for the link!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Negative Emotions

Science Daily reports that toddler boys may have more trouble in coping with negative emotions than their girl counterparts.

Boys, more often than girls, display negative emotions and social fearfulness according to a new study performed by the University of Illinois.

Nancy McElwain, an associate professor of human development at the University, observed 107 children in gathering data on children’s social and emotional development and parent-child relationships.

Children were examined at 33 months and again at 39 months and their parents were asked how they would respond to their children’s behavior in several hypothetical situations.

“We investigated two types of parental reactions to children’s negative emotions.  One type was to minimize their child’s emotions; for example, a parent might say, ‘Stop behaving like a baby’.  Another type of reaction was punishing the child for these emotions.  A parent might send a child to their room or take away a toy” Engle stated.

Parents who punished their kids for fears and frustrations were more likely to have children who were anxious and withdrawn.  This type of response to punishing parenting styles was more prominent among toddler boys.

Engle observed, “When children are upset, it’s better if you can talk with them and help them work through their emotions rather than sending then to their room to work through their feelings on their own.  Young children, especially little boys who are prone to feeling negative emotions intensely, need your comfort and support when their emotions threaten to overwhelm them.”

Are You Faking It?

Spring is finally here and that makes a lot of people happy.  The fresh breeze and warm sunshine makes many want to smile.

An article, “Smile Like you Mean It” suggests that positive thinking can create a more positive emotional state, which in turn will allow a person to smile more.  If you smile more, then you will generally be a happier person.  At least that is the consensus.

One study in positive psychology, performed by Harker and Keltner, posited that if a woman had a “Duchenne” smile in her yearbook photo (that is a true mouth and eye smile) then she was more likely to be happily married and less stressed 30 years later.

Dr. Matsumoto has also commented on the “Duchenne” smile, which utilizes the muscles called the orbicularis oculi that raises the cheek bones and forms crow’s feet around the eyes.  He states, “ Remember the Duchenne smile is the only smile that allows for the cheeks to be raised…and you see the eyes twinkling a little bit.”  This is how one can distinguish between a genuine smile and a fake smile.

Many contemporary scientists and ancient philosophers believe that putting on “a happy face” can actually alter a person’s mood.  The Happiness Project website, gives pointers on becoming friendlier and in turn a happier person.

Gretchen Ruben the author of The Happiness Project states that, “Research shows that although we think that we act because of the way we feel, in fact, we often feel because of the way we act.  That’s why one of my Twelve Commandments is to Act the way I want to feel .

How about you; how often do you smile?   Not a fake smile but a real “Duchenne” smile?

If you would like more tips on how to be happy then check these tools and techniques for a happier life.

In the video below Dr. Matsumoto comments  on the “Duchenne” Smile.

Click here to view the embedded video.