Brides Giving Fake Smiles!

What is on the inside often "leaks" out, even when a person is trying to keep it a secret. A good poker player will look for his opponent's "tell" - unintentional, unconscious physical behaviors that give a clue whether or not they are bluffing.

Supposedly, the main character in the TV series Lie to Me is an expert in reading other people's "micro-expressions" and knowing whether or not they are lying. As is often the case, the entertainment world goes more with entertainment than accuracy in the series. But it is based on real neuropsychology.

For example, there are some facial muscles around the eyes and mouth that are only used when someone is giving a real, genuine smile. They don't move when someone is giving a fake smile.

Photos of Olympic medal winners were compared in some recently reported research. "Gold-medal winners... were more likely to exhibit genuine smiles, engaging the eye muscles [than other medal winners]." Second- and third-place medal winners were faking it! Smiling on the outside, to hide the disappointment and other emotions.

Photos of brides at their weddings have also been analyzed in other studies. Some brides are giving fake smiles! Say it ain't so, Joe.

POP QUIZ: Which is harder to study, behaviors or mental processes?
ANSWER: Mental processes.

Fake smiles are easier to see than the reasons for the fake smiles.

So, the brides are faking their smiles. Should their grooms be worried? That is one possibility - they are not really happy. Trouble is on the horizon. Should I warn the groom?

Hold on there, partner. There's at least one other possible explanation for the fake smiles. This one comes from my having performed weddings for 100's of couples over the last 39 years.

The wedding is over and the photographer takes charge. The bride and groom are in staged photos with every relative at the wedding. "Smile!" "One more time, smile!" Before the photo shoot is over, the bride is looking like the politician holding baby after baby, or Vanna White turning over letters on Wheel of Fortune.

Of course the bridal smiles are fake! They are having to smile on demand.

Go ahead. Smile. You're at the end of this blog.