Dr John Habershon has spent many hundreds of hours conducting in-depth interviews during his career in consumer and social research. Over the last eight years he has analysed the nonverbal responses captured on video on a wide range of topics, ranging from favorite products and advertising on TV, to bereavement and stress at work. He became involved in work for those on the autism spectrum through friends with Asperger's in the family and has created Emotions Reader, (https://vimeo.com/ondemand/readingemotionssystem) an interactive program with quizzes to help users identify facial expressions. John has a long standing interest in understanding emotions, having gained his PhD on the psychological effects of unemployment at Imperial College, London University. He has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. http://www.momentumresearch.co.uk/
Anxiousness is one of those emotional states we see in the face; but perhaps most of all we see it in the movements of the body. (Note: there is purposely no audio with the above video) When we become anxious we lose some control over our actions. Carrie’s hands are raised, partially coverng her face, as her fingers scratch nervously.Continue Reading
We often see more than one emotion on the face at the same time. Watch this video to see how disbelief or irritation can be expressed through facial expressions. Beth is watching an action-packed trailer for some TV shows and she finds the voiceover unconvincing and the scenes coming at such as fast pace she can’t keep up. Her lowered browContinue Reading
Gus has just been reminded of one of his favourite products and he looks down and smiles to himself, nodding approval. (Note: The silent video for “Appreciation” comes second after “Sadness”) You see the smile staying on his face as he thinks about the brand. Then he looks up and gives a direct look and smile, sharing his positive feelings.Continue Reading
Heather smiles gently as she watches the video about a celebration in Africa. To be fascinated by something means that it captures your imagination and you want to give it your full attention. Heather leans forward (always a sign of interest) towards the TV screen. She stares intently at the screen, following the action with her eyes. Active thinking isContinue Reading
Heather is not pleased with the TV ad she’s watching and we can tell this by the combination of two subtle signs. First, there is a slight lowering of her brow. We tend to associate this with being puzzled, but it’s also a general negative sign. When the brow is lowered the eyes become more narrow. When we narrow ourContinue Reading
In the last blog we looked at more than one emotion on the face (Disbelief/Irritation). This week one overwhelming and strong emotion is showing through: discomfort. Benjamin is watching a somewhat controversial TV ad and although he sits quite still we can see several signs which point to his discomfort. He takes a deep breath and quickly shifts the directionContinue Reading
The dictionary defines contempt as a feeling that someone or something is worthless. Here Patrick is talking about his experience of really poor customer service. He felt he was treated badly, and we can see he is agitated by the quick nodding and shaking of his head as he recalls the experience. The key sign of contempt is the curlContinue Reading
Carrie is more than puzzled by the question she has just been asked; she is confused. Her eyes give away her feelings of confusion in different ways. Firstly, there is a lack of focus as she looks into the middle distance trying to find an answer. Secondly, there are several changes in direction as she looks up and down, rackingContinue Reading
How can we tell when someone is thinking hard about a question? There are some simple signs when a person’s mind is really working – when a problem holds their attention completely. It takes effort, and we often see this in movement in the mouth and the brow. Amanda is looking directly at John, but we can see by herContinue Reading
We don’t go through life strongly agreeing or disagreeing with what our friends or colleagues tell us. More often we simply accept what is said. In fact among friends, in particular, simple acceptance is the normal response. (Note: there is purposely no audio with the above video) So this first expression of emotion is a good place to begin. It’sContinue Reading
We can see that Laura is not interested in the statement she is reading. Her gaze is unfocused, her eyes look blank. She’s zoning out. But she is not just uninterested. She finds the idea on the page boring, which we see from her compressed lips and the downturned corners of her mouth. Boredom is closely related to tedium, theContinue Reading
Awkwardness is about feeling a little unsure, suddenly feeling self-conscious. We can see the signs in the way Evan moves his body and avoids eye contact. He is talking about something quite personal, which makes him feel rather uncomfortable. There is a defensiveness about his posture, resting his chin on his fist, partially covering his mouth, looking away and thenContinue Reading
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