psychology
june 2015
image source
Altmind.org
17
Another thing wrong with using so called “microexpression readers” to spot terrorists is that people are innately biased. We’re all vulnerable to a phenomenon called unconscious racism. Even though many americans think we’re past racism, studies have been done to prove that though we may not identify ourselves as racists, a large majority of us still unconsciously make judgements about people based on their race.
Our ability to judge people based on first impression however is a valuable tool both in survival situations and in modern life. Our brain has been wired to judge people based on their appearance since it often reveals a lot of clues about them. Studies have been shown that our first impressions are actually fairly accurate so we should not completely discredit them completely.
What about machines? Sure. With technologies like google glass, apps have already been developed to read facial expressions of those around us. Same as security programs. These programs eliminates the human bias but they run the risks of false positives. Also, as previously mentioned, facial expressions does not provide an accurate description on the true intents of a person.
People often treats psychology studies like microexpressions as lifehacks to help them gain an advantage of those around them. However, while these studies provide descriptions of human behaviors, they are not definitive rules for human behaviors. Though we’re one species, we’re incredibly diverse and complex. Each and every one of us are unique we’re not the ones bounded by these “theories” of psychology. These scientific theories explains our behaviors but does not define them.
Though there are tips and tricks from psychologist on how to read people, they require years of training and study to use effectively. So next time why not use the most reliable tools we humans possess, empathy, and try to understand the other person before we make judgements about them.
sources
BusinessInsider
CNN
ACLU