If you were told that your smile and your mood are related, your first thought might be, “Duh.” Smiling is a universal sign of happiness, openness, excitement, and a host of other positive emotions and moods. However, research suggests that smiling doesn’t just reflect your mood; it might actually affect it, as well. Your Encinitas periodontist, Dr. Ann Kania, explores the influence that a smile can have on your mood, and vice versa.
Examining Smiles and Dispositions
There are countless clichés about smiling, such as “smile and the world smiles with you.” Actually, that one has proven the subject of research across the globe into the relationship between smiling and emotion. In the search to discover whether we smile because we’re happy, or we’re happy because we smile, studies suggest that the visual expression of happiness can actually trigger the same emotion in those who witness it. In one trial, participants were asked to look at photos of varying expressions, including smiling, frowning, and neutral faces. While looking at smiling pictures, the participants had trouble forming frowns on their own faces. (more…)