Evolution of Nonverbal Emotion

Paul Eckman has made a considerable contribution to the psychological world. He earned his Ph. D. in clincal psychology from Adelphi University in 1958. His credited work comes from his research in facial and body expressions, also classified as nonverbal communication. The hit show Lie To Me was based off of his work and findings. His work teaches how to detect micro-expressions, or brief, split-second facial movements that detect emotions and lieing ability. A question that arises from his work revolves around the idea that nonverbal emotion can be explained by evolution. http://www.nonverbal-world.com/2010/10/letstry-to-understand-that-how-non.html ---> This article explains that nonverbal communication came about through evolution of survival skills. According to this article the ability to sense and react to sounds, smells, gestures, and postures are part of vital nonverbal communication for survival. The article goes on to explain emotion as “a pre-defined survival strategy or intention of reacting to environment or entities”. Through emotions, animals have learned to attract mates, know when danger is present, and develop a sense of belonging in the habitat of which they belong. Nonverbal emotion created a basis for survival and then evolved into a communication network used today.