Head Lines: Spotting a Fake Smile
Spotting a Fake SmileAt least one good thing comes from a breakup: a better fake-smile detector. Social psychologist Michael Bernstein and his colleagues at Miami University found that people who felt rejected were better at discriminating between fake and real smiles. Researchers believe that a true grin indicates real emotions, such as cooperation, because some of the muscles we use–the ones around the eyes–are not under our conscious control. Our ancestors needed to be accepted in a group to survive, Bernstein says, so an outsider would not want to waste energy by acting on a fake reaction–or to miss a real opportunity to be included. –Rachel Mahan
