Limited Impact of Smiling
A recent US study showed that smiling once may contribute to improving mood, but repeating it continuously or forcing it on a person may weaken this effect, and may even increase feelings of annoyance and anger. Researchers from the University of Florida, in the results of a study published by the university via its website on Thursday, stated that the effect of smiling depends on the number of times it is repeated and the surrounding circumstances, especially when it changes from a spontaneous expression to a forced behavior.
Experiment Methodology and Results
The researchers conducted the experiment on 1,174 participants, who were shown various images, including cheerful scenes such as kittens and flowers, and others that were annoying. They asked some to smile while watching them, while leaving others free to interact with them naturally. The researchers also tested the effect of repeated smiling, asking participants to smile once or ten times, and informed half of them of the possibility of deducting part of their financial reward if they failed to comply with the instructions.
Spontaneity vs. Compulsion
The results showed that smiling once slightly improved the mood of those who watched the unpleasant images, but this effect declined with repetition and disappeared when linked to the possibility of losing part of the financial reward. In contrast, smiling once while watching positive images did not result in a noticeable change in mood, while repeating it or forcing it led to a decrease in happiness and an increase in annoyance and anger. The lead researcher of the study, Professor of Psychology at the University of Florida Nicholas Coles, explained that smiling may improve mood when it is spontaneous or limited, but repeating it compulsively, as happens in some customer service jobs, may turn its positive effect into a negative one.
Recommendations and Conclusion
Coles pointed out that forcing workers to constantly show happiness may limit their ability to express their natural feelings, and turns the smile from a spontaneous expression into a professional duty. The study highlights the importance of spontaneity in expressing emotions, and that smiling may have a positive effect when it comes naturally to the person, not when it becomes a forced and repeated behavior.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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