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Nazia Ali
Emotional Intelligence
Batch 4
9-10-2025
The Science of Strange Faces: Why We Make Weird Expressions
Have you ever caught yourself making a weird face in the mirror?
Strange and unusual facial expressions often appear when someone is unfamiliar with a situation or experiencing some kind of uncertainty. It can be difficult to immediately understand the exact feeling being conveyed, leading to a sense of strangeness or mystery. Strange facial expressions may look random but they are actually powerful in showcasing how our minds work.
Psychologists say our faces are like emotional billboards, revealing thoughts and feelings that words often can’t express. Though neonatal facial expressions in response to sweet and bitter tastes are basic reactions to simple stimuli, they may serve as the building blocks of later emotional experience and development (Rosenstein & Oster, 1988).(1) Weird expressions often appear more strongly compared to usual expressions. They’re also an important part of human communication. When our brains experience mixed emotions or subtle emotional shifts—like excitement mixed with fear, or confusion paired with amusement—a quick or exaggerated reaction can make people laugh, build connection, or even defuse tension in social situations. On the negative side, it can create panic, stress, or anxiety in others.
The ability to perceive faces is one of the first capacities to emerge after birth. An infant begins to recognize faces within the first few days of life, equipped with a preference for face-like arrangements that allow the brain to wire itself, through experience, to become expert at perceiving faces (Arcaro et al., 2017; Cassia et al., 2004; Grossmann, 2015; Ghandi et al., 2017; Smith et al., 2018; Turati, 2004; but see Young & Burton, 2018, for a more qualified claim).(2)
Humans can express complex emotions instantly, making our social interactions more authentic and relatable. In a world where much of our communication happens through screens and emojis, weird faces remind us that real emotion can’t be fully scripted. Faces offer a rich, salient source of information for navigating the social world—they play a role in deciding who to love, who to trust, who to help, and even who is found guilty of a crime (Todorov, 2017; Zebrowitz, 1997, 2017; Zhang, Chen & Yang, 2018).(3)
There is no need to overthink weird expressions or pass judgment on them, they are a completely normal and natural part of being human.
References:
1.Rosenstein, D., & Oster, H. (1988). Differential facial responses to four basic tastes in newborn. Child Development, 59(6), 1555–1568. https://doi.org/10.2307/1130670
2.Arcaro, M. J., Schade, P. F., Vincent, J. L., Ponce, C. R., & Livingstone, M. S. (2017). Seeing faces is necessary for face-domain formation. Nature Neuroscience, 20(10), 1404–1412. https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.4635
Cassia, V. M., Turati, C., & Simion, F. (2004). Can a non-specific bias toward top-heavy patterns explain newborns’ face preference? Psychological Science, 15(6), 379–383. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0956-7976.2004.00688.x
Grossmann, T. (2015). The development of social brain functions in infancy. Psychological Bulletin, 141(6), 1266–1287. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000002
Ghandi, T., Kaur, K., & Singh, P. (2017). Development of face perception: An overview of the role of experience and maturation. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 41(1), 73–82. https://doi.org/10.1177/0165025416645208
Smith, F. W., Muckli, L., Brennan, D., & Johnson, M. H. (2018). Early developmental tuning of face perception. Developmental Science, 21(4), e12651. https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.12651
3.Turati, C. (2004). Why faces are not special to newborns: An alternative account of the face preference. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 13(1), 5–8. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0963-7214.2004.01301002.x
Todorov, A. (2017). Face value: The irresistible influence of first impressions. Princeton University Press. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400885720
Zebrowitz, L. A. (1997). Reading faces: Window to the soul? Westview Press.
Zebrowitz, L. A. (2017). First impressions from faces. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199376374.001.0001
Zhang, Y., Chen, Q., & Yang, Z. (2018). Face perception and social decision-making: The role of facial trustworthiness in judgments and behavior. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 222. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00222
