Facial Expressiveness

Master emotional expression through the Facial Action Coding System (FACS). Explore the anatomical basis of emotions and practice precise muscle control.

7
Universal Emotions
2
Social Emotions
17
Action Units
FACS
Based System
◎ Anatomically Based△ Action Unit Breakdown✓ Practice Tips⇌ Expression Comparison○ Muscle Mapping

Interactive Explorer

Explore facial expressions through the FACS system. Discover how Action Units combine to create recognizable emotional expressions.

Showing: 9 expressions, 17 action units

Visualization

Select expressions to see AU activations
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About FACS

The Facial Action Coding System (FACS) is a purely descriptive, anatomically-based system developed by Paul Ekman and Wallace Friesen. It measures muscle movement, not emotion, making it a powerful tool for objective practice and analysis.

Key Principles

  • • Action Units are the basic units of facial movement
  • • Emotions are combinations of specific AUs
  • • Intensity can be graded from trace (A) to maximum (E)
  • • Some AUs are difficult to activate voluntarily
  • • Context and culture affect display rules

△ Practice Note

By focusing on activating specific Action Units, you can build muscle memory and gain precise control over your expressiveness. The goal is to separate the physical action from emotional interpretation, allowing for more conscious and effective communication.

Understanding Microexpressions

Microexpressions are very brief (1/25th to 1/2 second), involuntary facial expressions that reveal concealed emotions. They occur when a person tries to hide their true feelings, but the genuine emotion "leaks" through.

Caution: While microexpressions can indicate concealed emotions, they don't reveal why an emotion is being concealed. They are clues to emotion, not definitive indicators of deception.