The Human Facial Expressions Studies

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

One’s face give up feelings and the public will be able to read it like a book

—William Shakespeare (Macbeth, Act, Scene 5, Page 3).

According to thefreedictionary.com, facial expressions are the motion of the facial muscles to physically convey the emotion being felt inside. Facial expression is a form of communication also part of the nonverbal communication. It conveys warmth, sympathy, anger or confusion. A smile from an acquaintance when you are undertaking an effortful task may be constructed as supportive and increase self-regard. Sometimes the same smile can also be used when a competitor is undertaking the same task and can be constructed as support for the competitor thus lowering one’s personal regard (Taylor, Peplau& Sears, p.58).

According to Ekman andSejnowski(2003), facial expressions, actually, provide a lot of information about:

affective state which also includes both emotions and more enduring moods like irritableness;

cognitive activity like boredom;

temperament, personality and character

honesty, including the leak of concealed emotions, and hints;

Psychopathology which comprises of not just analytical information related to despair, craze, schizophrenia, and other not-so-severe illnesses which is also relevant data to watching and observing reaction to treatment.

In field of learning, an educator's facial behaviour or reactions has an impact regardless of if the students learn or not . A student's facial reaction can notify the educator of that is needed to be adjusted in the instructional message. In contexts of criminal justice, facial behaviour plays an important part in forming or detracting from trustworthiness of a person. Also in field of corporate and business, facial reactions are vital especially in negotiating and making personnel judgments. And in context of health and medicine, facial behaviours can be very valuable in the autonomic nervous system studies and the patient’s psychological state (Ekman&Sejnowski, 2003).

In field of international relations, exploration of the facial behaviours of world rulers and leaders could be utilized for the purpose of evaluating trustworthiness and emotional state changes. And in interactions by man-machine, facial communication can offer a system to converse basic information about the requirements and difficulties to PCs(Ekman&Sejnowski, 2003).

Stereotypes about female intuition suggest that females are better than men in reading facial expression or decoding them. That’s why mother are better than father in determining whether a crying baby is hungry, wet or suffering gas pains. Stereotyping also suggested that women are better at sensing if another person is feeling depressed or embarrassed. Studies done by psychologists prove the accuracy of this gender stereotyping. The female advantage in nonverbal interpretation is at facial expression (Taylor, Peplau&S ears, p.359).

Although facial expressions are the same among the gender while conveying emotions, a minor difference was discovered between females and girls in the horizontal change in the percentage especially for the modelled smile. Females have an enlarged range of facial expression even to a particular emotion liking a smile for a female could covey friendliness, happiness extra. Females can show the same facial expression to convey different emotions too (Taylor, Peplau& Sears, p.359). 

By far the highest number of studies on activities of the face has been on signs of feelings and emotional functions of the face. According to Ekman (1992),the concept that emotions are actually directly connected distinctly with the behaviour of the face has origins in Darwin’s work, and many other who already have advanced as well as particularize with Darwin’s evolutionist statements(Matsumoto & Ekman, n.d.).

Darwin stated in his principle of serviceable behaviours, that expressions of the face are the lasting acts of further complete behavioural reactions. It occurs in association with other physical reactions like vocal, movements of skeletons and muscle, gestural, postural, and physiological reactions. Therefore, human beings show rage or an angry expression through creasing of the eyebrows and the tightening of the lips and teeth being exposed because these movements are couple with the attack response. Our faces can also display disgust with a mouth wide open, wrinkled nose, as well as protrusion of the tongue like it was part of the gagging reaction. Facial behaviours are basics of a synchronized reaction concerning a numerous response systems (Matsumoto & Ekman, n.d.). The table below show a list of portrayals of the movements of the face involved in all of the emotions Darwin claimed as universal.

Emotions

Darwin’s Portrayal

Anger

raising of the nostrils, flattened mouth, creased eyebrows, wide open eyes, erecting of the head,

Disdain

Protrusion of the lips, nose crinkle, unfinished closing of eyelids, averting of eyes, raised upper lip,

Disgust

turning down of the canners of the lower lip, raising of the top lip, opening of the mouth, spitting, bulging of the lips, expiration, clear sounds from the throat, protruding of the tongue and of the bottom lip

Fear

Widely opening of the eyes and the mouth pulling back of the lips, raising of the eyebrows

Being Surprised

raising of the eyebrows, Widely opening of the eyes and the mouth, lips projected

Sad

corners of the mouth being lowered, raising inner corners of the eyebrows

Facial expressions are lively and energetic features which converse the speaker’s emotions, assertiveness, intents, attitude and so on. The human face is the major source of sensations. Through outspoken conversation, expressions on the face transform constantly and are regularly observed and deduced by the one on the receiving end. Examples arising of one eyebrow, a frown, yawning, and smile or glare (AIIC, 2005).

Changes of the movement of the eye are a main part of the face and its activities since the eyes are tangled consistently in displays of all kinds on the face. The differences in the forms are witnessed to be multicultural. The regularity of eye contact might propose anything from curiosity or withdrawal from the communication or may even give up the dishonesty of a person. The nonstop stare of the speaker can show truthfulness or openness. Downward gazes are commonly related to introversion and shyness where as rolling of the eyes upwards is taken as a sign of exhaustion. Researchers in this field of facial expression have learned that there are particular areas of the face that disclose our sensitive or state of emotion much better than others areas. For instance, the eyes have an inclination to display sadness, angry, happiness or even shock or being surprised. The upper part of the face can also show surprise, angry or happiness. For example, a smile can converse excitement, sociability or assistance. As for the lower part of the face, eyebrows and forehead are identified toward disclose commonly confusion and anger (AIIC, 2005).

Similarly, body movements, facial activities and movement of the eyes vary from one culture to another culture. A speaker from a faraway Eastern nation might speak on a rather disappointing matter while smiling or even laughing. Consequently, a spectator from Europe might be mystified by the obvious inconsistencies. Once more, concurrent translators are restricted in the chance of cultural transmission for they are unable converse visually in their booth and explain the condition (AIIC. 2005). 

Problem statement

This study will investigate how well students can identify facial expressions. Since all the students today are the children of technology age, we do not communicate face to face as we use to. People rather used technology most of the time to convey information, thoughts etc. Nowadays we see texting and Facebooking between people who are even right beside each other.

This paper’s objective is to find who is better at interpreting facial expressions: males or females. But since females have many ranges of facial expressions, there is need for an outlet to identify the facial expressions among males. Males do not have as many ranges ass females. When people are in a face to face interaction, they might have troubles figuring out what level of a certain emotion one might be feeling.

Without facial expression and its significance, we will be just saying without any notification to it being the truth or lies. We will not be able to tell if there is something wrong. This study will help future researcher to help show how we may improve and advance.

Research questions

Which facial expressions have been used by males?

What range of male facial expressions?

Research Objectives

To identify facial expressions have been used by males

To identify range of male facial expressions

Significance of the study

The importance of this study is to help future studies further their exploration and discovery. This study was once done on middle school students and now it is being done on college students. The difference is important because it will show different the college students are when it comes to interpretation skills. This study will show how interpersonal communication is among college students these days.

This study may help to enhance a student’s or a researcher’s knowledge and interpersonal skills for face to face interactions as well. Peleg said expressions by the face are significant"in inter-individual and hierarchical interactions of people within our own species; between different human races; between different tribes; and in animals between different species."

So the goal of this research is designed to help improve our facial expression so as to better communicator and so as to be able to understand one another.

Without facial expression and its significances, we will be just saying without any notification to it being the truth or lies. We will not be able to tell if there is something wrong. This study will help future researcher to help show how we may improve and advance.

Non-verbal communication are do not only play a significant part in direct setting like face-to-face but it is very critical in interceded message, for instance telephone interpreting, where the receiver does not get to look at the one who is speaking. Non-verbal communications are vital for all other types of specialized understanding in which the speaker in a conversation are unable to be witnessed. It is significant, as even in such circumstances the vocal sound can show the non-verbal paralinguistic messages (AIIC, 2005).

Those messages are pitch, quality of voice, sounds made vocally or gap. But also, it has to be taken as non-verbal, communicative acts which only may be completely shown and witnessed in face-to-face circumstances, where rhetorical understanding is escorted by visually perceivable feelings. So, this study will mainly only consider the face-to-face aspect of the non-verbal communication (AIIC, 2005).

Research Limitation/ Research Scope

Location is a limitation since destination for conducting the research is in another area Transportation is another limitation. To conduct survey or interview, travelling will be by car or train. The third limitation is time. Since there is a shortage of time, there will not be enough time to conduct different aspects of an experiment like focus group or observation. Because of shortage of time, the options of the study is limited to either survey or interviews

Keyword definition

Gender

A fixed of classes that together include all nouns. Membership in a particular class are being shown in the form of the noun or by the usage of modified word choice where the word man or any other male form is replaced with he and the word woman or any other form of female is replaced by she. But unanimated objects and animals in the English language have no gender so they can be replaced with the word "it". But in languages like French, Spanish etc. everything from unanimated objects to humans have a gender and can only be replaced with "she", "he" or their plural forms. The total number of genders in different languages varies from 2 to more than 20; often the classification correlation in part with gender or its liveliness. The common known classes of genders are of generally two or three (masculine, feminine or neutral) in Latin, German etc.

Facial expressions

1

Facial expressions - a signal performed with the muscles of the face 

Gesture of the face

Emoticon - a demonstration of expressions done by the face (as a yawn or disgust) produced by keying an order of typescripts in conveyance message; ":-(" which means a sad face or":-) " which means a happy face are examples of emoticons

Gesture and motion of the face are the movements used to convey known or programmed signals

Gasp is an appearance of open mouthed bewilderment on the face

A grimace face is a distorted appearance for example, at the prospect, he made a grimace.

A scowl or a frown is a facial look of displeasure, hater or unhappiness

A smile is an appearance of the face which is characterized by upward movement of the corner of the mouth. It usually shows preference or enjoyment. A grin is similar to a smile.

Laugh is a look which is characterized by the wrinkling of the face in a silent laugh of derision or it could be coupled with shaking of the body with a vocal sound.

Sneer is an angry malicious look.

A straight or a neutral face  is a grave and sombre facial look which gives no indication of concentration or pleasure

A wink is a playful look which is characterized by closing of one eye swiftly as a sign

Wince is look of unexpected agony

2.

Facial expression is the emotional state expressed on somebody's face example, a disgust look, an expression of joy, a sad face etc.

An expression is a look, an appearance or even a face or an aspect.

The look taken by an individual’s face for example a pleasing features or a serious look.

Leer is an indicative look or scornful look or beam. It also maybe the evil eye or even just an ogle.

Sparkle, gleam, flicker –cheerfulnessconveyedthroughaillumination or gleaming or energetic countenance. Example, she had a twinkle in her eye or there is an everlasting sparkle in her eyes.

College students

College is an institution where you can study after you leave school

Student is a person who is studying at a college or school ranging from teenager to young adulthood most of the time.

College students are students who have finished school and earned their high school diploma and further moving on with their education in hopes of getting a degree, masters or even a PHD.

College students are usually between the ages of 18 to 24. But there students who finish their school education early and those who decide to go to college later in their lives.

Chapter 2: Literature Review

Not anything can compare to the value of or swap the importance of facial expression in the non-verbal communication value (Acacio, 2012). Facial expressions consist of motions and movements of more than 40 muscles in the face which combines to give a hint or signal actual emotions and cognitive processes. Works on field of facial expressions were done by scientist like Darwin and many others from the 19th century (Pearse&Lansley. 2010). We must learn to understand the power of the facial expression and must try to keep it going in this electronic age (Begley, K. A, n.d.). Face and its expressions and how we communicate with it will upkeep mutual happenings, touch, eating and eating with one another, also with creating a relaxed communications as well as devoted managing (Nardi, Whitakeetc, n.d.).

But their works has been progressed and advanced by Ekman, Nakamoto and many others so that now we, the new generation will know whatever there is to know about humans, display all of the seven know universal emotions(happy, sad, angry, fright, disgusted, disdain and surprise) in the same way and manner, regardless of one’s ethnicity or culture. In addition, under some conditions, these emotions can be given off unwillingly in less than one fifth of a second, which uncovers a person’s true feelings (Pearse&Lansley. 2010).

Many view the face communication as better than new forms of communication, for example texting, telephone calls, or even emailing (Rana, 2012). But with presences of these new technologies, the human touch, context and element are being lost in the transaction (Hanke, 2011).Expressions by the face point toward an exposure about the physical appearance and or a message about something interior to the expressing party. In the perspective of the facial activities, which is a nonverbal communication, countenance generally means a change of a noticeable pattern throughout the years, but as a motionless painting can express a mood or even capture or show the expressed sentiment, so the face too can reveal quite a static features (Ekman,Sejnowski, 2003).According to Ekman and Sejnowski(2003), the facial expression concept, therefore, comprises of:

a person’s characteristic is signified

a graphic outline that signifies this characteristic

the basis of this physical appearance, or symbol

a person or other viewer that notices and interprets the signs.

An important channel of nonverbal communication is the facial expressions. Many living things display expressions on their faces, but movements of the face are extremely advanced particularly in primates, and maybe in humans beings most of all. Although the human beings have developed the powerful capabilities of a verbal communication, the facial expressions role in face-to-face relations still is very important(Ekman&Sejnowski, 2003).

Facial messages which give out illustration as well as commentary about spoken communications are curial by themselves. Other kinds of expressions provide another different mode for understanding the hidden, a side set apart from the inner person, are served side that might not be available, open and so understandable in the verbalizations system (Ekman&Sejnowski, 2003).

An advantage of face communicating is the personal touch for example an employee will be complimented and feel appreciated if the boss stop by for a chat and it helps the boss learn about his/her employees (Greenword, 2012).  When we use too much technology, we tend to create a distance and this distance from the in screen-only communications might create negative emotion like isolation and or even a inclination to care less about the important people in our lives (Luscombe, 2010).

Media mostly is associated with negative feelings and such but facial expression while communicating is always associated with positive emotions of social wellbeing as well as being related with a variety of optimistic socioemotional consequences (Larsen, 2012).

The expression and behaviours of the face, for example, connected to emotion can disclose part of the feeling side of the private life of an individual. Emotion indicators as such vary from fixed, complete-face expressions which are noticeable and clear to short-lived, half-face actions that are difficult to be noticed (Ekman&Sejnowski, 2003).

The human facial expressions studies have had numerous important features, from simulation by computer and its examination to understanding its part in fine art of nonverbal communication as well as the process of emotions that goes with it. But still, several questions about facial behaviour s still are not answered and certain areas are to a certain extent unfamiliar(Ekman&Sejnowski, 2003).

To acquire a bigger picture of the types of asked questions that have been going around, responses to some of these inquiries, and the scientific studies and research about the facial activities, which requires to be finished so as to answer those questions. Facial expressions and the ability to understand them are crucial aspect for the success of interpersonal relations and in diplomacy, so modifying these skills is frequently sought after and often required(Ekman&Sejnowski, 2003). 

In basic research done on the brain and its activities, expressions of the face can recognise when particular mental processes are happening, periods that can be tested or experimented with the usage of an imaging technologies which are very expensive for constant monitoring. The face and its expressions seem to also hold promise for applied medical studies, for instance, in recognizing the role of moods, feelings and emotional state in coronary artery disease and such (Ekman&Sejnowski, 2003).

When people communicate face to face, they might be more enthusiastic and eager to exposed themselves emotionally and personally as they will be more incline be more protected in their texts and emails (Stain, 2012). We have identified many facial expression but we are still far from being done for example there might be an expressions for emotions like awe but we are still tryin to find it (Blakemore, Jenette, 2001). 

Past Researches

This part summaries pervious research that been done. All of this studies used quantitative methods. Unlike this study, the researches below used a facial action coding (FAC) system. FAC means that computer have been used to analyse.

A study by Dimberg and Lundquist has been done to discover whether gender differences in reactivity of the muscle of the face when shown some movement or expressions on the face. This research also inspected if the gender of the stimulus faces did in fact impacted the reaction forms to stimuli of the face differentially. As a result, the gender was worked in a 2 x 2 factorial design by revealing both of the genders to photographs of happy and angry expressions demonstrated by both genders. Facial electromyography (EMG) action was measured from the corrugators and zygomatic muscle regions. The respondents also were obligated to rank the stimuli on various magnitudes. The findings of this research presented that the anger look conjured amplified corrugators activity whereas happy faces induced enlarged zygomatic activity. As expected, these effects were much more noticeable for female subjects, especially for the reactions to the happy expressions. Fascinatingly, there were not any facial EMG effects for gender of stimulus. It was additional found that male and female subjects supposed the stimuli in the same way. The outcomes of this research show that the female subjects are have a much better facially reactive than the male subjects(Biological Psychology, 1990).

Another study was done by Odyssia Houstis and Stavros Kiliaridis. The purpose of this research was to find a reliable way to estimate in a quantitatively the facial expressions by adults and children so as to judge their reliance on gender as well as age. This research evaluated by targeting 80 fit and healthy subjects which were divided into groups of four. The 4 groups were 20 girls (average age 10.6 years), 20 boys (average age 10.8 years), 20 females (mean age 25.6 years), and 20 males (mean age 27.0 years). To record, a video was used on every individual separately performing3 facial looks which are a rested posture, puckered lips, and a modelled smile. Demonstrative frames were selected from the videos for every subject’s individual expressions then these expressions were digitized which is then studied with software that take out a set of vertical as well as horizontal distances of the face. After that, all the measured distances in the modelled lip pucker and smile were stated as a percentage of change from the other posture. Statistical analysis was executed through the usage of a two-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), with the independent variables being age and gender. It was obvious that the capability to create any particular facial expressions varies between the four individuals groups because of their age and gender. Male subjects had a better upward vertical movement capability in the facial study expressions than female subjects. But the female subjects had a greater and more noticeable horizontal component in the posed smile. There was a tendency from childhood to adulthood which shows a growth in the percentage change in most vertical movements. This development was existing in both of the genders, though more noticeable in males more than the females. Usage of a forceful quantitative method for gathering as well as evaluating facial activities, differences of genders in adults were spotted as differences between children and adults were observable. The drift to growing vertical activities in children when compared with adults proposes the option that the copycat musculature is developmentally controlled (Orthod, 2009).

A research of two studies were done by Hall and Matsumotois "Gender differences in emotion judgments by utilizing a new judgment task" (Study 2),also giving stimuli at the brink of mindful consciousness (Study 2). Here, the aim is to test gender differences in emotion judgments. The respondents of this study were 69 males and 27 females all of which are undergraduates. Women turned out to be more accurate in the emotional judgement than male subjects even under situations of marginal stimulus data. Scores of the female subjects had a lot more flexible through scales, and they also have ranked precise target feelings higher than did male respondents (Hall &Matumoto, 2004).

Another research was done byKohler , Turner , Stolar, Bilker, Brensinger, Gur and Gur . Here, a facial action coding system (FACS) was utilized to study the acknowledgment rates among the 105 hale and hearty young males and females who have seen 128 facial expressions of modelled as well as aroused angry, fearful, happiness and sad emotions in colored pictures which have a balance for ethnicity as well as gender of poser. The analyses of this study were classified so as to determine the individual action units’ specificity for every single emotion. Associations amongst acknowledgement rates for various feelings and action units were estimated with help of a statistic regression graphs. Every single emotion or feeling can be recognized through a collection of action units, specific to the feeling which is also separate from all the other emotional expressions. Typical happy facial look includes rising of the inner eyebrows, tightening of the bottom eyelid, raising cheeks muscles, raising upper lip and upward turning of the corners of the lip. Identifications of the happy look were coupled with raised cheeks, tightening of the eyelids and raising outer eyebrow. Typical sad looks consists of creased eyebrow, opening of the mouth with raising of the top lip, stretching of the corners of the lips and turning down, and pulling up of the chin. Lowering of the eyebrows and rising of the chin were associated only with the sad look. Typical anger look consists of the lowering of the brows, wide open eyes with tightening of the lower eyelid, lips being revealing of teeth as well as stretching of corners of the lip. Identification of angry looks were usually linked with lowering of eyebrows, upper lid been raised and depression of the lower lip. Typical fear look includes eyes being wide open, creased and raising of the brows as well as stretching of the mouth. Identification of fearful expressions was most extremely connected with rising of upper lip with enlargement of the nostril, even though both happen occasionally, and with inner eye brow being raised and widening of the eyes (Psychiatry Research, 2004).

Related Theories: Discreet Emotion theory and Facial Expression

Facial expressions have been studied by theorists as an understanding of emotion for many years. According to Katsikitis (2002), most of the research done is concerning the alleged basic emotion university which is established on the expressions of the facie. So most of the theories stated that there are only a restricted number of the so-called basic feelings or emotions and that every one of them is an inborn ability as well as universal and prototypical expression pattern. In this practice, a course of mixing up the basic pattern clarifies the emotion expression inconsistency which is so commonly observed (Katsikitis, 2002). Ekman (1997) claimed that an expression of the face interpretation must depend on postulate formations and not just a single action of the muscles of the face.

There are extensive evidence, which was revised and studied by Ellsworth, Ekman and Friesen (1982), showing discrete facial expression that could be identified through range of cultures as equivalent to emotions of disgust, anger, happiness, surprise, fear and sadness. Using photographs of posed expression, these patterns were found in studies. But these findings cannot enable scholars and scientist to understand facial expression as unambiguous pointers of emotions of spur-of-the-moment interaction. The mission of on-going facial expression analysis in the emotional segments changes is much more difficult than connecting expression of emotions to speaking label (Katsikitis, 2002).

Research Framework

Facial expression is influenced by the interpersonal communication that occurs between people. Independent variable is interpersonal communication and the dependent variable is facial expression.

Whenever people are having a conversation, what one says effects how the other party reacts by using their facial expressions. The facial reaction has nothing to do with the gender. Gender only effects to what range of facial reaction will be shown.

A female might show range in just a simple facial expression like a smile. A smile could just be a polite one to say hi to people. A smile could mean happiness. A smile could even be just for the sake of other so they don’t panic.

Gender

(Neutral)

Dependent variable

Independent variable

Interpersonal communication

Facial expression

Hypothesis

The hypothesis on this study is that females, regards of age and race, will be better at interpreting facial expressions and the emotion behind it and the males will not be as good (H0). Females will also be able to understand what range of the emotion being expressed is and the facial expression that goes with it.

The H1will be if the females were worse than the males in their interpretation facial expressions. That, the males might be better at understanding the range of the emotion and the expressions on the face.

The research would also like to find out if the male respondents can keep up with the different ranges between the females and the males.

Chapter 3: Methodology

This study was based our survey, quantitative research. According to thefreedictionary.com, quantitative research "involving formal, objective information" about the field in research, which used "mathematical quantification" that can be utilized to "describe testing relationships and to examine cause and affect relationships." The aim of this study is to employ and develop statistical models, related theories and draw hypotheses, which is relating to gender interpretation on facial expression. The aim is also to organize features, count them, and then make statistical graph in an effort to show and clarify what is witnessed. Picture questionnaire surveys are used to gather numerical data for this study.

Subject

The targets in this survey are college students. We want to compare which of the gender and their interpretation skills on facial expressions. We also wanted to see if females are better at recognizing and interpreting facial expressions. In this survey, we will ask the students to indicate their gender, age and if they are foreigner or local.

In the survey, there are 20 multiple choice questions, each with a picture of facial expressions. The subject must identify the facial expression and answer all the questions within the given time limit. There will be a range for poor, better, good and great.

A hundred students from several colleges were chosen to be test upon and which will consist of similar number of female students and male students. Out of the 100, there will be foreigners and Malaysian locals comprising of Indian Malaysians, Chinese Malaysians and Malays.

Location

The survey was conducted on the school grounds and online. This survey will be done on the course of a month. The survey will be handed to students on the school grounds and they will be answering it there and then and returning the answered surveys back.

As for those who are overseas or out of reach will have the survey emailed to them. They will send the answered survey back.

Sampling procedure

Sampling procedure will be random. Since the objective of the researcher is to compare the genders in college, any student can be a respondent for this study. Since the survey would be handed out to any student, one could say the sampling here is of convenience.

Some of student will be asked to recommend other students in case some students do not want to do the survey, so the snow balling sampling may be used here too. Only about a hundred of college students will be chosen in random to represent the college students today.

Instrument

For this study, the instruments used will be the questionnaires. It will consist of two sections. The first section is demographics. Here the respondent will list down their gender, age and race. In the second section, it consists of the questions for this study. Here, 20 pictures are provided with multiple choices and the respondent must identify the facial expression on these pictures and chose from the multiple choices whatever they think might be right.

The picture survey will be handed out to the respondent and they must answer it and give it back.

Pre-testing

The survey has be pilot tested on 5 students and results compliment the hypothesis of this study. The pre-testing turned out to be effective and with agreement with the hypothesis. The pre-testing is to shown the effectiveness of the survey and if it is easy for the respondents to understand and read. It is to if a spelling mistake or a grammatical error was made. It help make a good survey in which the respondents can answer and one can get the results for their study.

Data Analysis and statistical significant

The result of the survey will be recorded and saved in a table. All the information will be show in graphs to show comparison between the groups. The bar graph will be used often in this study as it shows comparison better. The information of this survey will be processed manually.

Data collection procedure

How much the respondents get correct on the survey will be stored in a table and will be processed manually using Microsoft Excel to process the raw data collected in this study. The survey will be answered and handed in there and then.

The data will be then presented in graphs to show how well the male and the females interpreted the facial reaction and the emotion show on the face during the reaction. Graphs will also show comparison between the genders and to show if age plays any part in the interpretation process.

Validity and reliability of the instrument

In this study, the interpretations of genders are tested in this study. The objective of this study is to find which of the gender is better: female or male, to see if the hypothesis that females are better can be proven. For that purpose, the survey was made into a visual questionnaire with multiple choice to see if the respondent can interpret or recognize the expression and choice the right answer.

There are a total of 20 questions and respondent should try and get them right. If the respondent scores 5 or less than that then the respondent’s recognition is weak. If they score 5 to 10 questions right, then there recognition will only be bad. If they score between 10 to 15 questions right, then they will be good in interpretation. If they score between 15 to 20, then they have excellent interpretation skills.

The picture and the correct emotion their represent have been taken from the internet and the right answers will be among the multiple choice but the respondent must pick out on their own.

The instrument used by the researcher here is a questionnaire of pictures survey. Validity states if the questions of the survey" measures what it intends to be measure" (Evensen, 2008). 

For a valid survey instrument, the questions used in the study focuses on what that is required to be measured. 

According to Evensen (2008), the instrument is not all that matters but also the way it is used.  The survey must be able to collect data from the targeted subjects and they must respond to the questionnaires of this research.

The term reliability means that no matter how many times the questionnaire been used, the researcher will always get the same result (Eva, 2011). Validity differs from reliability because validity means to exam how solid the findings of the hypothesis are and reliability check the stability of the study. To check how reliable the survey it, the test can be done twice. So if the findings are identical to one another than the survey is reliable (Eva, 2011).

Chapter 4: Findings

This part consists of two sections: Demographic and Score.

4.1. Demographics

The data for this research was obtained for the facial interpretation survey which who done by college students. The respodents were asked to list down their age, gender and race.The sample for this study consisted of 46 males and 54 females (Figure 4.1.1). The respondents ranged in age from as young as 16 to 24 years (Figure 4.1.2). All of the respondents werestudents.

Most of the respondents were Indian Malaysians but there were Chinese Malaysian, Malays and other races respondents too (Figure 4.1.3 and 4.1.4).

Figure 4.1.1: The number of males and females who have participated in this study

Figure 4.1.2:The age range of the subjects in this study

The age range for this study is from as young as 16 to as old as 25. The respondents are mostly at the age of 20 and leastly at the age of 16 and 17 equally.

Figure 4.1.3: The race of the respondents in this study

The pie chart show more accurately the races that were involved in this study. This pie chart also helps compare what race the respondents belong to mostly (Indian Malaysian) and what they belong to leastly (Malay)

Figure 4.1.3: The percentage of the races.

4.2. Score

The highest possible score is 20 and the lowest possible score is 0. The test was then classified in ranges of 0-5, 6-10, 11-15 and 16-20. Most of the respondents fall in the 11-15 range. 5 of the female respondents and 2 of the male respondents fall in the 16-20, all of which were in the others race. Figure 4.2.1 shows the number of the correct answers by females. Figure 4.2.2 shows the number of the correct answers by males. And Figure 4.2.3 shows the average of the correct answers by females and males.

Figure 4.2.1: The number of the correct answers by females.

Figure 4.2.2: The number of the correct answers by males.

There are some male respondents who have done the survey horribly and have score in the range of zero to five. Some have scored in the range of 16 to 20. Most of the male respondents fall in the range of 11 to 15 and 6 to 10.

Figure 4.2.3: The average of the correct answers by both females and males.

The average show that women scored higher in the facial interpretation survey, hence suggesting that females are still superior in recognizing and reading facial expressions than men.

Figure 4.2.4: The male and the female others students results

The graph above show how the foreign students both female and male did on the survey of facial interpretation. As we can see, females scored higher in the scores 11 and above. None of them scored lower than 6.

Figure 4.2.3: The male and the female local students results

The figure above show how the local, both female and male, students did on the survey of facial analysis skill. As it can be seen, none of the local students scored higher than 11. Few of them scored lower than 6 but the males were more than the females in the range of 0-6. Most of the females scored in the range of 11-15.

Figure 4.2.4: The male and the female students’ results both locals and others

Chapter 5: Conclusion

Reading the face and its expressions are important and so is maintaining the art of interpreting the face. The objective of the research is to identify facial expressions have been used by males and also to identify range of male facial expressions. The face is an important part of the communication process also part of the nonverbal communication. It conveys what we feel inside at the time like friendliness, consideration, fury or confusion.

Unfortunately, the face-to-face communication is a dying art and with it the personal touch is dying. Today’s generation seems have replaced the face communication with technology.

This study wants to find out if people can still be able to interpret the facial expressions and if the female respondents are still better than the male respondent at figure out the meaning of the expression.

Women are known to better than males at expressing themselves and their feelings with the usage of their face and its movements, their voice tone, as well as their body language, particularly positive emotions. But the males seem to be better at monitoring the emotions they feel as well as at concealing feelings behind a look known as the "poker face" (Riggio, 2011).

There also have been evidences that show women seem more empathic than men, and that they are most likely see themselves as the more empathic of the genders. One word women are more likely to be described as is "open" with their emotions. Women also have a tendency to be "open" to emotional messages of other people. And, that just adds on to the perception that females have a special talent to sense what others might be thinking or feeling (Riggio, 2011).

As humans, the one and only actual way for us to connect is through genuine communication. Pervious researches have shown that that written or verbal word only contributes to only 7% of the communication connection whereas nonverbal communication contribute to about a whopping 93%. So, when someone says "I’m okay", it is only when we look into someone’s eyes or the whole face and listen to their non-verbal hints that we are able to see that they are fine or not (Tardanico, 2012).

This is where the media and social network comes in and makes things dicey. With the generated wave of technology, any person can hide behind emails, texts, Facebooking and now we even have the option of tweeting. By projecting the impression we desire, we choose to create a delusion of what we are. With the help of these social networks, we can be whoever we want to be and the worst part is that without the ability to get nonverbal cues, the receivers are not wise enough to see the reality (Tardanico, 2012).

One has to wonder about where one gets the gift to read emotions. It has been proposed the reason is mostly due to social power. Traditionally, females have been known to be at the bottom of the social power ladder and thus they have spent most of their time scrutinizing and observing those who were in a position of power (males, and some influential females). This is why they have become more attuned to the facial and other nonverbal signals. Some say that the element of evolution has a part to play; choosing females who will be able to decode better the needs of kids and possible mates (Riggio, 2011).

For this study, 100 respondents were picked through random, convenient and snowball sampling technique. For better comparison, 50 of the respondents were male and the other 50 consisted of females. All of the respondents were college students.

The research used qualitative methods to conduct this study. The research instrument used by the researcher is survey. The questionnaires consisted of pictures with multiple choices. The respondents will have to identify the emotions expressed in the pictures.

The Discreet Emotion theory states that we have a limited number of facial expressions and these are expressions are universal throughout the globe.

People must learn to communicate using more than just words. Why wait till you go home and then text instead of telling what you want face to face? We must learn to preserve the functions of our face what it means so we may understand one another each other. The facial expression is for more than just a meaningful conversation.

Facial expressions tell us if a person is honest and truthful or being sarcastic and playful. Through texting, we use emoticon to show what we mean but we just be giving the emoticon people except at the time so we could do whatever we want. Like, a bully might write to someone they want to hurt "Let hang out" and they might just want get them to let their guard down and be vulnerable.

Facial emotions and expressions are universal, but other non-verbal communications like our body posture, our eye contact or lack of it and our voice and its tone might be taken in a very different way throughout cultures. Are you trying to show interest, convey friendliness or just paying attention? In some of our posture as well as our movements can aid in carrying out a sense of being connected (Must,2011).

The purpose of non-verbal communication or acts helps explain the intend of the words as well as strengthen the words we speak, or may be ignore it entirely.  Like when we say yes we nod our head to show the strength of it and when we say no we shake out head from side to side to show how much we disapprove or don’t want it(Must,2011).

In some cultures, it is the other way round but we could tell from a person’s facial expression and then apply it to what they are saying. The objective here is for us to express our thoughts and conceptions in a way that will be understood since we aim to exchange a message of information (Must, 2011). 

Almost all of the meanings come from something other than the words. It is said that 55% of the meanings come from face and it expressions as well as body posture and 38% of the meanings come from the voice. So by doing our important conversations, we choose wisely. If there is conflict and the matters are possibly delicate facial expression helps in building relationships and help in being able and aided in solving the issue (Must, 2011). 

As it can seen in the findings of chapter 4, females, yet seem to be better at reading the facial expression and at decoding the emotion behind it. The foreign students seem to have to have done better in the facial expression analysis.