The topic of my research paper is going to be about "the smiling effect." "The smiling effect" says that when you smile, your brain triggers dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin which in effect causes you to be in a better and happier mood. It also states that the effect it has on you can also be mirrored in other people.
I chose this topic because I'm interested to see, from my own personal experience, if this is true. Many psychologist and sociologist have done research and studies on this "effect" that have proven its accuracy, but I am still a little skeptical. There have been times where I have been down in the dumps, with a smile plastered on my face, that doesn't make me feel any better.
Over the summer I took a psychology class that mentioned this topic but never really delved deep into it. To sort of give me a little more background information, I used the article "Why Faking a Smile Is a Good Thing" by Forbes.com. Though it was short and sweet, it included some very interesting studies and research that I'm going to include in my research paper.
Some interesting research the article included had to do with an experiment using chopsticks. Psychologist Tara Kraft and Sarah Pressman had their subjects hold chopsticks in their mouths in different configurations to form smiles and neutral expressions. The chopsticks helped to determine if facial activity could affect mood. They discovered that those who smiled exhibited lower heart rate levels after completing a stressful task.
Research also shows that even faking a smile also has somewhat of the same effects as a real smile does. Frowning on the other hand has proven to lower your mood and your level of happiness.
As someone who is going to study psychology in college, I can't wait to be able to do my own research and experiments on the multitude of topics in the word of psychology. My goal is to become a clinical or behavioral psychologist and work with patients in a hospital.
"A smile is the best makeup any girl can wear." -Marilyn Monroe