Real Communication An Introduction

104 Part 1  Basic Communication Processes

Although we’re fairly adept at deciphering these common expressions

of emotion, we’re not necessarily experts at decoding all facial expressions

( Bavelas & Chovil, 2006). That’s because the human face can produce more

than a thousand different expressions (and as many as twenty thousand if you

take into account all of the combinations of the different facial areas) (Ekman,

Friesen, & Ellsworth, 1972; Harrigan & Taing, 1997). Moreover, our emotions

can be concealed by facial management techniques, conscious manipulation of

our faces to convey a particular expression.

One common facial management technique is masking, replacing an expres-

sion that shows true feeling with an expression that shows appropriate feeling for

a given interaction. Actors use masking all the time. But you also use it when

you smile at customers at the restaurant where you work even though you’re in a

horrible mood and wish they’d leave (Richmond, McCroskey, & Payne, 1991).

Eye Behavior

When Rooney Mara portrayed Lisbeth Salander in the film adaptation of The

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011), she learned to move and gesture in ways

to convey the hurt and fury her avenging character experiences. But Mara said

that her character’s eye behavior was particularly hard to master. Contrary to the

norms of interaction, Salander never looks into the face of others, keeping her

gaze downcast or sideways (Ryzik, 2012). Oculesics is the study of the use of the

eyes to communicate—which includes Salander’s gaze aversion.

Newborn infants (two to five days old) stare significantly longer at faces

offering a direct gaze rather than an averted one. The babies orient themselves

more often toward the face that makes eye contact with them. Babies as young as

three months old smile less when adults avert their gaze and begin smiling more

when adults resume eye contact (Farroni, Csibra, Simion, & Johnson, 2002).

There are some cultural variations in gazing with children. For example, Euro-

pean American parents gaze more at their children, especially between mothers

and sons. Mexican American parents, on the other hand, spend less time making

Sadness Anger Disgust

Fear Interest Surprise Happiness

FIGURE 4.1
CROSS-CULTURAL
PRIMARY FACIAL
EXPRESSIONS Research
shows that these seven
expressions of emotion exist
in all cultures and are inborn.

CONNECT

Despite differing cultural
norms regarding direct
eye contact, it remains an
important part of giving
speeches and succeed-
ing in job interviews in the
United States. In both situ-
ations, eye contact signals
respect for your audience
and confidence in your
abilities and preparedness.
You learn more about the
challenges of eye contact,
and how to move past
them, in Chapter 14 and
the Interviewing Appendix.