Is this person’s smile genuine or fake?
That is the question on the BBC.co.uk psychology test by Professor Paul Ekman from the University of California. Respondents are finding the test surprisingly difficult when they originally felt confident they could spot a fake.
A lot of test-takers probably are conditioned to see fake smiles during beauty pageants or from over-ambitious cheerleaders, but we are all guilty sometimes!
Another great place to spot extreme-smilers is in advertisements where models or celebrities are forced to smile on cue. Maybe it's not such an easy job after all.
Check out the test yourself here and see how well you do.
What's Driving This Trend
- Psychology of Happiness Tests
- Opportunity for developing more accurate and reliable tests for assessing genuine smiles.
- Spotting Fake Smiles
- Potential for creating training programs or technologies that help individuals become better at identifying fake smiles.
- Advertising and Smiles
- Possibility for innovative advertising strategies that utilize genuine smiles to create a more authentic connection with consumers.
Who This Affects Most
- Psychology
- Field of psychology can explore new approaches to studying and understanding the intricacies of genuine and fake smiles.
- Technology
- Development of facial recognition software or tools that can accurately detect and analyze fake smiles.
- Marketing and Advertising
- Opportunity for marketers to leverage insights about genuine smiles to create more impactful and authentic advertising campaigns.
