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Module 2 Homework
by
Damien Allen
PSYC-3350
at
The University of Texas Permian Basin
January 29, 2025
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This homework investigates the influence of smiling on social engagement during the
course of a week. While smiling at familiar people and even strangers, I was intrigued by
everyone’s reactions and how smiling affected people.
It is well accepted that smiling evokes positive feelings and promotes social relationships.
Earlier studies indicate that smiling not only increases morale but also yields better social
outcomes (Kraft & Pressman, 2012). The study in this homework was looking to determine
whether one would find it easy to smile for long periods of time, how others would respond
towards them, and whether the individual undergoing this exercise would learn something
meaningful from the experience.
I attempted to smile at everyone , friends, coworkers, and complete strangers, throughout
my entire day. I was easily able to note people reactions with their facial expression as well as
their greetings once the eye contact was made.
One of the ways I act out in the world, and during my normal workday is to be friendly,
so this exercise was not very difficult for me to complete. Where I work, I am required to create
and maintain professional relationships and to garner favors from those who can help me in the
future.
I found that since I already have a report of being friendly and smiling towards everyone
those who knew me had the same reactions of happiness and pleasant greetings as they always
do. Even when not having a great day a simple smile from a colleague or friend seemed to help
improve their mood substantially.
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Strangers’ responses varied a good deal. There was a subset of cases where some did
respond to the smile, but there were others who seemed surprised by the smile that was offered
and opted to respond with a nod or subtle softening of their features. A few people did attempt
some form of casual communication such as wishing the other, “Good Morning” or just
exchanging some other polite words. A few of the smiles extended were ignored, but this was in
a small minority.
The outcome once again cemented that social interactions do have an impact on how
people engage in communication or conduct themselves. Researchers have identified a positive
correlation between smiling and positive outcomes from others towards themselves and having a
better mood and social confidence for the person smiling.
The idea that smiling has positive psychological benefits is supported by research. A
study by Kraft and Pressman (2012) shows that even in a forced situation, smiling has its
benefits in contributing to one’s health. Moreover, as published by (Waldman, 2023), smiling
enables people to bond and increase interactions that are beneficial. This confirms what was
found in the experiment and observers witnessed.
In the end, this study addresses the positive effects of a simple smile on social relations
and life satisfaction. The practice focused on the fact that even if one feels reluctance at the
beginning, others’ smiling has a strong positive influence which contributes to smiling easily and
frequently. Further studies could investigate whether practicing smiling on purpose over a longer
period can help in improving one's overall emotional condition and relationships.
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References
Waldman, J. L. (2023, October 15). The science of smiles : Why grinning is good for you.
Pittsburgh Prosthodontist. https://pittsburghsmilemakeover.com/blog/2719831-the-
science-of-smiles-why-grinning-is-good-for-you/#:~:text=The%20act%20of%20smiling
%20triggers,reward%2C%20further%20enhancing%20your%20mood.
Kraft, T. L., & Pressman, S. D. (2012). Grin and bear it: The influence of manipulated facial
expressions on the stress response. Psychological Science, 23(11), 1372-1378.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797612445312
