Senator Clinton really has three key signature emotions. One is a social smile, often quite broad, that appears on her face and stays there in a fixed, even tight display of happiness. It is distinguished from a true smile, which involves the muscle around the eye relaxing and bringing a "twinkle" to the eye, by the fact that it involves only the mouth and cheeks. Anger is the second emotion the former First Lady shows, most often by either narrowing her eyes after they've been wide, wide open. The final characteristic emotion is contempt, shown by having the corner of her mouth turn up and in on itself, as if forming a pocket or twisted indent. When challenged in a debate regarding her high negative ratings, all three emotions were evident on her face; she simultaneously reacted with disdain and annoyance largely smoothed over by putting on a brave, happy face.
Facing Off With the Candidates
Candidates in the 2008 presidential race never seem to stop talking, but is it possible that what their facial expressions tell us IS MORE revealing than what they actually say? In a TIME.com experiment Dan Hill, a recognized authority on facial coding, looks into each candidate's eyes for clues to their innermost thoughts.