Name: Are there universal expressions of emotion?
Uploaded: 2018-07-09T14:03:45Z
Duration: 4 min 29 s
Description: The 40 or so muscles in the human face can be activated in different combinations to create thousands of expressions. But do these expressions look the same and communicate the same meaning around the world regardless of culture? Is one person's smile another's grimace? Sophie Zadeh investigates. [TED-Ed Animation by Estúdio Bacuri]

The 40 or so muscles in the human face can be activated in different combinations to create thousands of expressions. But do these expressions look the same and communicate the same meaning around the world regardless of culture? Is one person's smile another's grimace? Sophie Zadeh investigates. [TED-Ed Animation by Estúdio Bacuri]

Sophie Zadeh: Are there universal expressions of emotion?

Are there universal expressions of emotion?

Darwin's theory that emotional expressions are universal gets support; even isolated tribes share common facial expressions.

Studies on blind athletes reveal innate emotional expressions, bolstering the notion of universality across human experiences.

Emotional expressions may be evolutionarily hardwired, aiding survival by enhancing group communication and individual readiness.