Facial Micro Expression

A micro expression is a tiny facial cue that appears within one-fifth of a second. It is uncontrollable and shows an observer signs of every emotion. It shows signs of deceit as well. Usually these are undetectable, but with some training they can be detected and used in investigations. Therefore, facial micro-expressions should be admissible in federal investigations. We need a replacement for polygraphs, and micro-expressions are a fine candidate. The previously used lie detector, the polygraph, is unreliable. This is because “physiological responses measured by the polygraph are not uniquely related to deception” (National Research Council (2003). The Polygraph and Lie Detection. Committee to Review the Scientific Evidence on the Polygraph. Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.). This means that the polygraph senses any emotion, not just deceit, and it cannot differentiate between deceit and the other emotions. Another problem with it is that it cannot be tested easily. “In the laboratory studies focused on specific incidents using mock crimes, the consequences associated with lying or being judged deceptive almost never mirror the seriousness of those in real-world settings in which the polygraph is used.” (National Research Council (2003). The Polygraph and Lie Detection. Committee to Review the Scientific Evidence on the Polygraph. Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.) This shows that he polygraph cannot truly be tested with a real controlled test. Another problem is that “Although the criterion of truthfulness is easy to establish in laboratory simulations, we have seen no indication of a clear and stable agreement on what criteria are used in practice for assessing the accuracy of security screening polygraph tests in any federal agency that uses the tests.” (National Research Council (2003). The Polygraph and Lie Detection. Committee to Review the Scientific Evidence on the Polygraph. Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.) This means that nobody knows exactly what to test for when looking for signs …show more content…
This is because “Nonverbal communication is particularly relevant in high-velocity, time-pressured situations imbued with threat, such as today’s irregular warfare environment. War ghters, much like police of cers, must increasingly develop perceptual shorthand to reveal emergent threats from non-threats and to assist in determining direct, effective action” (ZIELKE, DUFOUR, and HARDEE) This means that when the stakes are high and you need a reliable lie detector, facial micro expressions are the perfect match. “This two-dimensional definition is especially useful when one notes that emotional expressions can be masked or faked to some degree, such as during an attempt to deceive another, or blended when a person is in an emotionally conflicted state.” (SULER). This means that when someone is trying to deceive or is emotionally conflicted, micro expressions shine through. “Frank's system has proven successful in identifying suspects involved in conventional criminal and potentially criminal behavior. It is now being tested for use in identifying potential terrorists” (ZIELKE, DUFOUR, and HARDEE) This means that we can identify potential threats using micro expressions. “He honed his skills during years of research by staring at miles of videotape (sometimes in slow motion) in which crooks, sneaks and killers proclaimed their innocence, or hundreds of volunteer student liars tried to earn a little cash by successfully deceiving their interviewers.” (SULER) This means that micro expression training has been put into practise and has