Scientists in Sweden have figured out why it’s so difficult to keep a straight face if others around you are grinning away. It’s your unconscious mind taking control. The researchers at Uppsala University had volunteers look at pictures of expressionless, happy, and angry faces. In return they were told to adopt blank, happy, or angry expressions. When they had to meet a smile with a frown, or a frown with a smile, they had trouble. Twitching in the subjects’ faces — measured with electronic equipment — indicated they simply didn’t have control of their muscles. It’s believed that there’s a shortcut to the part of the brain that recognizes faces and expressions that bypasses the area responsible for conscious processing.
No related posts.
I am in Grade 8 and I’m doing a science project on this topic. I am enjoying every minute of it. As coughing is contagious, then according to my experiment smiling is too!!!!!! A friend walked behind me and recorded the results on a notebook. We recorded the number of people who walked passed us, the number of people we smiled at, the number of people who smiled backed and the number of people who didn’t. It was not a surprise that there was not 1 single person didn’t smile back!!! So I proved that SMILING IS CONTAGIOUS!!!!!
Yess…. thx for helping me! This is my project and my friend and I needed the help soo bad CX thxz again! C:
For those of you looking for a source on this study:
Sonnby–Borgström, M. (2002), Automatic mimicry reactions as related to differences in emotional empathy. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 43: 433–443.
I found it in this well sourced article on the effects of smiling:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cutting-edge-leadership/201206/there-s-magic-in-your-smile
wow.
It’s true that smile, as well as happiness is contagious. So wear a smile and spread it around. You might just brighten someone’s day.
This so helped me on my science project. Thanks <333
wow annoying words lol
i’m in 5th grade and i’m doing this!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My friend is going to walk a couple yeard behind me, and she will have a notebook and i will have a notebook. Since we will pass the same people, she will write down how many people smiled at her and i will do the same. and FYI: its already a universal fact that a positive person will attract another positive person.when you smile at someone,you give off positive emotions which pull at the same energies in the reciving person.
This has always been assumed but its noce to have it confirmed at least in part.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!! THAT WAS TOOOO HELPFUL
LOL :-0
p.s i am in 7th grade too:)
This will help my science fair project a bit, but how do I test this? I’m only in 7th grade!!!!
this iz meh science fair pro thx for dah info
I learned this because of this, and this one time my friend had a sticker that said: “My Smile Is Contagious” ‘She then smiled and I smiled. So that proves it IS contagious
Nice! Now, This is officialy my expirement.
interesting name
osi di
Grins…. outsource web development
Wow thx but this is rlly stupid and weird!
PPPP haha
This has been so helpful!
This will really help with my Science Fair Project! Thanks!!
helping with my science fair project as well!!! thx!
haha thanks this is aloot of help towards my science fair project! i think mine is gonna be the best one there!
what makes smiling contagious???????????????????????????????
:):):):)
smiles are contagious I can walk up to many people and smile and get an smile back and when I do I feel soooooooooooooooo happy
^_^
i like this article thing
Hi, My son is actualy doing a science project on smiling and if it is contagious or not. Could you share the info you got from the people that were able to send you links on previous studies anbout this topic?
here is my email
endj5@yahoo.com
Thanks
You guys are so funny.
Its helping my science project too.!!!!!!!!!By the way who started this blog, i need to know!!!! NOW!!!!!! hahahahahaha.
makes no sense
I think if someone is just smileing at one person it does noy make others around them smile but would make them walk by with a blank face i cant explan why but it just does not have the same effect.
ooooh fancy. I am smiling now!!!!!
DDD 
))) 
||||||||||| ::LLLLLLL:::((((( DDDDD: me not smiling nowww
This was a really great website. Good job. It really helped me with my science project. Thank You very much
I am doing a speech about smiling and how it can be contagious. I would like to know, that if someone is just walking around smiling, and the smile is not specially meant for you, that would the effect be the same towards a person and make them smile too? Or would people just not feel as if they’d care to smile.
Hey;; Smiling Is Contagious.!!!<3 Or At Least That's What I've Proved From My Science Expirament. Hope I Can Use This As A Back-up Too.;; Thanks.
-Kimbo
It would have been nice to have a reference to the original study so we could read more about the psychology of smiling. I have a student looking for information about whether or not smiling is contageous…this would have been a big help!
thanks guys this really helped me on my science project!!
A SMILE costs nothing, but gives much.
It enriches those who
receive, without making poorer those who give.
It takes but a moment,
but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.
None is so rich or
mighty that he can get along without it,
and none is so poor but that
he can be made rich by it.
A smile creates happiness in the home,
fosters good will in business,
and is the countersign of friendship.
It brings rest to the weary,
cheer to the discouraged,
sunshine to the sad,
and is nature’s best antidote for trouble.
Yet it cannot be
bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen.
For it is something that is of no
value to anyone until it is given away.
Some people are too tired to give you a smile.
Give them one of yours,
as none needs a smile so much as
he who has no more to give.”
Outsource Web Development and Designing. http://www.outsource-website-development.com