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Paul Ekman

Definition

Paul Ekman is a renowned psychologist who is best known for his work on the facial recognition of emotions. He proposed that certain emotional expressions are universal across different cultures.

Analogy

Think of Paul Ekman as a detective who can read faces like books. Just like how a detective uses clues to solve mysteries, Ekman used facial expressions to understand human emotions.

Related terms

Emotion Recognition: The ability to identify and perceive others' emotions, which is something that Ekman's research greatly contributed to.

Microexpressions: Brief, involuntary facial expressions shown on the face of humans according to the emotions being experienced. They are often unnoticed but provide cues about emotion if detected. This concept was extensively studied by Ekman.

Nonverbal Communication: The process of conveying a message without the use of words either spoken or written. It includes gestures, body language, facial expressions etc., all areas where Ekman's research has been influential.