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Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Determining the Nationality of Olympians Based on their Smiles
The Olympics have arrived, and the entire world will be
caught up in the frenzy of the Summer Games for the next two weeks. While some
sports such as basketball make it easy to tell what country the athletes are
from (it is printed clearly on their jerseys), it is not as easy for others –
particularly swimming, where it is tough to tell an American from a Brit from
an Aussie based on the color of their Speedo.
But it appears there is one way to figure out where some of
these athletes come from – look at their smile.
Researchers have found that facial expressions, much like speaking patterns,
have accents. These “facial accents” may help you figure out which athlete to
cheer for when there is no other clearly defining marker.
In 2003, Georgetown University psychologist Abigail Marsh
conducted a study including a sample of 79 adults raised in Canada and the United
States. She showed these people pictures of facial expressions depicting
emotions such as anger, sadness, disgust, and surprise. The expressions were
either made by Japanese-Americans or Japanese nationals. The participants in
the study were able to determine with a strong degree of accuracy whether the
pictures were of a Japanese-American or a Japanese national, indicating a
difference in the way people frown in these two nations.
In 2007, Marsh conducted a similar study that evaluated the
difference in smiles between Americans and Australians. Once again, the participants
in the study were able to determine with a strong degree of accuracy whether
they were watching an American smiling or an Australian smiling.
So what exactly are some of these defining characteristics
of smiles?
According to Marsh, Australians tend to flash a smile that
is more friendly and agreeable, while Americans tend to express a sense of
assertiveness and dominance. Additionally, it appears that British people tend
to use slightly different muscles when they smile. As a result, they show more
of their bottom teeth than Americans or Australians do when they smile.
Keep these traits in mind when watching the Olympics at home
over the next few weeks, and see if you can figure out which smile belongs to
which nationality.
posted by
Andrew
at
11:26 AM
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