Can faking a smile make you happier? A new study says it might
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Most of us have had those days where we are inches away from a full-blown emotional explosion. In the SDC office, we like to call them menty b’s and we promptly head on a walk outside.
We try to cope and hope things will turn out a bit better, all with a fake smile plastered on our faces. We’re sure you’re familiar with this – it’s the Aussie way to simply get on with things with a casual ‘she’ll be right’.
We’ve also all heard the saying ‘smile and the whole world smiles with you’. But what if we told you that the act of smiling can actually make you happier?
It might sound like a bit of advice, but there’s new research to suggest that it may have some merit after all.
A study published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour by a team of researchers from Stanford University has found that faking a smile can amplify or initiate feelings of happiness – and so can looking at cheerful images.
The study involved 3,878 participants from 19 countries who were divided into three groups.
One group was asked to hold a pen in their mouth to mimic the action of smiling without actually forming an expression.
The second group was told to mimic facial expressions seen in photos of smiling actors.
And the third was instructed to move the corners of their lips towards their ears and lift their cheeks using only the muscles in their face.
After the three groups were sorted out, half of each was then made to view images of things like puppies, kittens, and fireworks, while another half only saw a blank screen.
The participants were also asked to do the task with neutral expressions on their faces.
In addition, they were instructed to do other activities like small physical tasks and solving simple maths problems to mask the goal of the study.
Afterwards, they were then asked to rate how happy they were feeling.
Based on the study’s findings, participants who copied the faces of smiling actors and pulled their mouths toward their ears reported small but still noticeable increases in happiness.
The same results were observed for participants who looked at the cheerful images with neutral expressions.
The group that had pens in their mouths did not display any significant differences in their happiness, most likely because they weren’t really smiling, according to the study’s authors.
'We experience emotion so often that we forget to marvel at just how incredible this ability is. But without emotion, there's no pain or pleasure, no suffering or bliss, and no tragedy and glory in the human condition.’ said Nicholas Coles, the study’s lead author.
He added: 'This research tells us something fundamentally important about how this emotional experience works.’
'The stretch of a smile can make people feel happy and the furrowed brow can make people feel angry; thus, the conscious experience of emotion must be at least partially based on bodily sensations.'
Okay, so there might be some benefits to faking a smile, but how about genuine ones?
Thankfully, smiling (and laughter) has many perks, such as reducing blood pressure and pain, as well as boosting the immune system, according to the University of Western Australia.
These simple activities can trigger the release of feel-good hormones called endorphins, which could also be obtained through other activities like getting a massage or exercising or... You know the one.
If you want to have a laugh or two, we also have a thread dedicated to jokes, fun, and games where you might find something to brighten your day, fake smiles aside.
What is your reaction to this study’s findings? Can you believe that the saying ‘fake it till you make it’ has some truth to it?
Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below!
Source: YouTube/TEDxTalks
We try to cope and hope things will turn out a bit better, all with a fake smile plastered on our faces. We’re sure you’re familiar with this – it’s the Aussie way to simply get on with things with a casual ‘she’ll be right’.
We’ve also all heard the saying ‘smile and the whole world smiles with you’. But what if we told you that the act of smiling can actually make you happier?
It might sound like a bit of advice, but there’s new research to suggest that it may have some merit after all.
A study published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour by a team of researchers from Stanford University has found that faking a smile can amplify or initiate feelings of happiness – and so can looking at cheerful images.
The study involved 3,878 participants from 19 countries who were divided into three groups.
Most of us have had to fake smiles at some points in our lives. Credit: Pexels/Andrea Piacquadio
One group was asked to hold a pen in their mouth to mimic the action of smiling without actually forming an expression.
The second group was told to mimic facial expressions seen in photos of smiling actors.
And the third was instructed to move the corners of their lips towards their ears and lift their cheeks using only the muscles in their face.
After the three groups were sorted out, half of each was then made to view images of things like puppies, kittens, and fireworks, while another half only saw a blank screen.
The participants were also asked to do the task with neutral expressions on their faces.
In addition, they were instructed to do other activities like small physical tasks and solving simple maths problems to mask the goal of the study.
Afterwards, they were then asked to rate how happy they were feeling.
Based on the study’s findings, participants who copied the faces of smiling actors and pulled their mouths toward their ears reported small but still noticeable increases in happiness.
The same results were observed for participants who looked at the cheerful images with neutral expressions.
The group that had pens in their mouths did not display any significant differences in their happiness, most likely because they weren’t really smiling, according to the study’s authors.
Smiles are a great way to break the ice when meeting new people. Credit: Pexels/olia danilevich
'We experience emotion so often that we forget to marvel at just how incredible this ability is. But without emotion, there's no pain or pleasure, no suffering or bliss, and no tragedy and glory in the human condition.’ said Nicholas Coles, the study’s lead author.
He added: 'This research tells us something fundamentally important about how this emotional experience works.’
'The stretch of a smile can make people feel happy and the furrowed brow can make people feel angry; thus, the conscious experience of emotion must be at least partially based on bodily sensations.'
Okay, so there might be some benefits to faking a smile, but how about genuine ones?
These simple activities can trigger the release of feel-good hormones called endorphins, which could also be obtained through other activities like getting a massage or exercising or... You know the one.
If you want to have a laugh or two, we also have a thread dedicated to jokes, fun, and games where you might find something to brighten your day, fake smiles aside.
What is your reaction to this study’s findings? Can you believe that the saying ‘fake it till you make it’ has some truth to it?
Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below!
Source: YouTube/TEDxTalks
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