Lots of times we’re told that when you really want to feel something all you need to do is fake it. But what if we told you this wasn’t true? A new study has found that fake smiling can’t play a role in making you happy even if you want to be happy. In the 1980s a study had come to the conclusion that if one flexes their facial muscles to smile and if the brain recognises it, then it might help the person feel happy. However, when scientists tried to replicate the study, they were unable to get the same results.
In 1988, participants were divided into two groups and were asked to watch a cartoon while holding a pen in their mouths, either by using their lips (which would create a frown) or their teeth (which would create a smile). The researchers found that people who smiled rated the cartoons as funnier. The University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands tried to recreate the study and recruited participants for the same. They used the same cartoons that were used back in 1988. However, the results were not the same.
“None of the experiments yielded a statistically reliable effect individually,” said a researcher. “Overall, these are the kind of data you would expect to see if you tried to replicate an effect that doesn’t exist or is so small you can’t find it with the paradigm you were using,” he added. Well, this certainly goes to prove that you can’t fake your way through life. Stay tuned for more updates.
