According to Paul Ekman.....
Two distinct neuropathways govern voluntary and spontaneous facial expressions. One major difference is that spontaneous expressions tend to always be more symmetrical - with both sides of the face being more equally effected. When a facetious expression is made voluntarily, this symmetry is always less obvious. Thus, a crooked expression where the sides of the face are mismatched, is a reliable indication that the expression is not genuine but is being voluntarily created. Ekman is referring to relative facial symmetry. Some people naturally have more asymmetrical expressions than others, but when the expression appears more mismatched than usual, that's when you should become suspicious.
I have a question because I've seen this come into play before on Lie to Me, but I've always wondered about flirtatious smiles? Do you ever give a coy or flirtatious smile that's symmetrical? It seems more like a one-sided smile thing, does that make it any less genuine? What do you think?
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