Nonblack people have a hard time distinguishing genuine from fake smiles on black people’s faces, according to a study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. In six experiments with 425 total participants (mainly undergraduates), researchers asked participants to rate the happiness levels of both black and nonblack people photographed with either “real” smiles (which involve movement of muscles at the corners of the eyes) or “fake” (mouth-only) smiles. On average, nonblack participants were less able to tell real from fake smiles in photos of black people than in photos of white people. Black participants, in contrast, were equally good at distinguishing real from fake smiles in photographs of both black and nonblack people. (Monitor on Psychology)

Susie Bean Gives