What are microexpressions?

We have heard them mentioned again and again in series such as Lie To Me, being "protagonists" in the art of determining if a person is lying or not; We know they have to do with the expressions of our face, but what are they really? How do they manifest?

The microexpressions are involuntary movements of the muscles of the face, in especially emotional moments and that are related to a situation that can cause us anxiety; either for positive or negative reasons. Currently, it has been determined that the seven basic emotions (Happiness, anger, sadness, surprise, contempt, fear and disgust) can not be "falsified", because the muscles of the face move, in most cases, automatically, and there is no way we can reproduce those movements in a perfectly conscious way, even with a lot of practice. Even professional actors, whose work is precisely in that falsification, could not be more effective than those not initiated in the performing arts if they face a situation of imminent danger or deep emotional stress, because their reaction will be as primary as ours. .

Automatic and involuntary

The microexpressions are not called precisely because they are very small, but because their duration in the human face is incredibly short (approximately one twentieth of a second). At such speed, and combining it with conversation, body movements, manual gestures and lighting (all the elements that distract), it is very possible to ignore them. That is why for a true study of those micromotions, it is necessary to film the subject in high definition, so that we have the possibility to see the recording again and again, if possible, frame by frame.

To facilitate its study, Paul Ekman, an American scientist, created the Facial Action Coding System (FACS), which is a method for classifying the movements associated with the muscles of the face. Since the combination of the movements of the individual muscles would be a titanic but impractical task, Ekman decided to group the muscles into "groups" or units of action, in such a way that their classification was easier. Of course, the phrase "easier" is a euphemism that falls short, because even with this simplified approach it is possible to count more than 10,000 different facial expressions.

The "Wizards Project"

Ekman carried out an investigation called "The Wizards Project (magicians)", later called Project Diogenes. It was to determine what percentage of the population was able, in a natural way, to determine at a glance if a person is lying or not. The so-called "Magicians" that determined the study, were those people who could locate lies with an effectiveness greater than 80% (presumably for its facility to detect microexpressions in a natural way), while an ordinary person is not much better than a person. 50% random The study revealed that only 0.0025% of the population has this ability, because of 20,000 people studied, only 50 met the criteria. Facts like this have helped to feed the "myth" of mentalists who are able to read people's minds, when in reality they are simply individuals with an excellent capacity for observation.

Practice makes a master

There is also an online tool called Micro Expression Training Tool (METT) which is a very simple flash application where we can learn about microexpressions and the different types of emotions, which muscles are involved in which manifestation and practices or "drills" to review our abilities. Obviously, as we move with the tool, it becomes progressively more difficult; and on the other hand, the exercises that previously seemed impossible to us begin to be solved with great ease, since our brain is getting used to seeing precise areas of the face that are common to several emotions.

Current applications

The study of facial microexpressions has proved its worth in many different fields such as criminology, psychology, medicine and even 3D character animation.