Micro-expressions are involuntary facial expressions that appear on a person's face for a very short duration (usually 1/25 to 1/5 of a second) when they try to conceal their emotions. These expressions are often subconscious and correspond to basic emotions (happiness, anger, sadness, fear, disgust, surprise). Micro-expressions are considered an outward manifestation of a person's inner experience despite the suppression of emotion.

History and Scientific Developments

The concept of micro-expressions was first defined in the 1960s by psychologists Paul Ekman and Wallace V. Friesen. Ekman studied the cross-cultural validity of universal facial expressions and demonstrated the accuracy of micro-expressions through experimental studies. With the developed Facial Action Coding System (FACS), these expressions have been systematically classified.

Areas of Application

• Forensic Psychology: Micro-expressions are utilized in lie detection and interrogations.
• Security and Intelligence: Used for behavioral analysis in airports or high-security areas.
• Clinical Psychology: Contributes to understanding the client's suppressed emotions in the therapeutic process.
• Communication and Education: Used as educational material to strengthen empathetic communication and increase emotional literacy.

Scientific Debates

The question of whether micro-expressions are always a reliable indicator of suppressed emotions is debatable. Some researchers emphasize that there is subjectivity in the interpretation of these expressions and that they cannot be evaluated independently of context.

Current Research

AI-supported facial recognition systems are developing towards the automatic analysis of micro-expressions. Studies in this field have also brought up ethical and privacy dimensions, especially in the training of artificial intelligence systems.