Sorry, have we METT?

METT training programme Paul Ekman

As I promised yesterday, we will be talking about micro-expressions today. What are they, what do they tell us and most importantly how can we train to see them? We all have micro-expressions, the same way we don’t always see them in others, we don’t always notice when we have them ourselves. I am sure that we all know that feeling, a hunch that someone is lying or the feeling when you pick up something and you get the feeling that something’s just not right. These feelings may just be your subconscious picking up on micro-expressions. Your eyes just haven’t learned to see them yet, but that can change! According to Paul Ekman, you can learn to see micro-expressions within half an hour. So which micro-expressions are there and how do we see them?

A micro-expression is a brief, involuntary facial expression shown on your face following the emotions you are experiencing at the time. They usually occur when under stress, or when you have something to lose or gain. Micro-expressions are difficult to fake, unlike regular emotions. Micro-expressions express the seven universal emotions:

1. Disgust
2. Anger
3. Fear
4. Sadness
5. Happiness
6. Surprise
7. Contempt

In the 1990s Paul Ekman expanded the list of emotions, this includes positive and negative emotions not all of which are encoded in facial muscles. The expansion to the list contained to following emotions: Amusement, Contempt, Embarrassment, Excitement, Guilt, Pride, Relief, Satisfaction, Pleasure and Shame.

All micro-expressions are very brief in their duration, they only last up to 1/25^th to 1/15^th of a second. There are three different types of micro-expressions, the first is a Simulated expression. This is when a micro-expression is not accompanied by a genuine expression. Second is the Neutralized Expression, this is when a genuine expression is suppressed and the face remains neutral. Last, but not least, the Masked Expression, this is when a genuine expression is completely masked by a falsified expression.

Despite the efforts to conceal any sign of emotion, leakage may occur in a micro-expression. These tiny changes also can occur when an emotion is just beginning, often before the person knows that they are about to act emotionally. With the METT Training tool, developed by Paul Ekman, you can train to see the important signals and recognize micro-expressions. Micro-expressions tell you that the emotion is concealed, but they don’t tell you why or how it was concealed. You will need to determine if the concealment is deliberate or unconscious, as they look the same. You may need to ask some questions to figure out the motive to conceal the emotions.

Source(s):           Telling Lies, Paul Ekman, chapter on cautions

                           Emotions Revealed, Paul Ekman, chapters 5,6,7,8 and 9.

                           www.paulekman.com

                           http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microexpression