It is know that emotions influence personality and features such as how we think, interact and behave. Research has shown that people who experience positive emotions are not only happier but have a more stable marriage, personality with better interpersonal and cognitive skills compared to those who are faced with negative emotions in their lifespan.
Emotions can be examined from facial expressions. Any facial change represents a state of emotion. Positive emotions can usually be associated with the intensity of your smile. Now studies are showing that the intensity of our smile is a biological factor that contributes to longevity.
The study involved Pro baseball players from US major leagues from the 1950s. Studies on official photographs demarcated genuine smiles and fake smiles amidst sportsmen. It was proven that those who had an honest smile outlived sportsmen who displayed the deceitful smile. They apparently lived on average 7 years more than those who did not smile at all and 5 years longer than those who deceptively smiled. This was suggested by Ernest Abel and Michael Kruger from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan.
The so-called genuine smile was according to early neurologists coined as the Duchenne smile. To perform a Duchenne smile muscle found at both corners of the mouth and encircling the eyes must be used. The fake smile does on the other hand involve only the mouth muscles.
Determinants in the study
Old photographs for the 230 major leaguers who were playing in the season for 1952 were analyzed in respect to their displayed smile. The attributes used to classify the smiles were, non-smilers, non-Duchenne smilers or Duchenne smilers. The lifespan for 196 players who had already passed by was looked up and used to construct a graph.
Percentage of Major League Baseball players surviving to a given age as a function of their smile intensity in photographs.
Source: Copyright © by Association for Psychological Science:
Abel E L , Kruger M L Psychological Science 2010;0956797610363775
It was shown that the Duchenne smilers lived the longest, followed afterward by the non-Duchenne smilers. Moreover, other factors such as good health and university education were also associated and this further ascertained the correlation between the intensity of the smile and longevity.
The study depicts that amidst the 196 players those who did not smile had only a 50 percent survival chance to reach the age of 80, assuming that other factors remain constant. The chance for those with a Duchenne smile to reach this same age was 70 percent. The difference in the potential to reach a higher age seemed to be associated with the type or existence of smile on the face of players during photographs.
Kruger and Abel, suggested that smile intensity seems to influence happiness. Moreover, happiness is related to several health benefits such as reducing the level of stress hormones and supplying vital protein to avoid heart diseases. This is how our emotion triggers longevity effects.
Validity of Findings
There have been other studies conducted on smile and overall correlation to happiness inferred from marital satisfaction by psychologists at Sanders Brown Center on Aging in Lexington, Kentucky. Adding a smile to photography does not merely reflect happiness. It shows the willingness to conscientiously be willing to socialize. Attributes such as conscientiousness, social networks are all determinants associated to longevity.
The non-Duchenne smilers lived longer because of their willingness. It can be concluded that overall emotional display affect longevity to a great degree. Smile is one factor amidst many others that can give life some extra joy and years to live.
Sources:
1. Journal References: Psychological Science
2. Newscientist
Wed, Mar 10, 2010
Gerontology, Health And Aging, Lifestyle, Longevity