The Smile Experiment

“The Smile Experiment: Participant-Observation Study”

Shilpi Kar
Southern New Hampshire University

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The Smile Experiment

Abstract

In the organization, Smile is often considered as the positive affective state of the

employees and demonstrates the approachability and appreciation for each other. The scientific

debate for the reason for facial expressions shows empathy and collaboration as underlying social

motives. Research shows that mimicking facial expressions as social cues is how we interact with

other minded humans (Steubar, 2014). As Organizations are being considered as large social

community where each individual and departments are inter-dependent, smile considered as a

social cue for relationship ad collaboration. The idea behind this study is to show that despite you

know anybody in the organization, personally, still employees greet each other with smile.

Introduction

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The Smile Experiment

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The Smile Experiment

What’s in a smile, is it a biological instinct which displays inner emotions or a social cue

of underlying motives? Charles Darwin argues that facial expressions are primordial instincts

which have evolved as instinctive survival mechanisms. Thus, if a smile serves as a social act,

these facial displays should be uniform across the organization. Theodor Lipps, the father of

exploration into human empathy, suggests that humans are minded creatures with the need for

“inner imitation.” Neuroscientists have found that mirror neurons act as a mechanism to help

human perception of other’s emotions based on facial, hence, employees in the organization

reciprocates by mimicking or mirroring by smile.

The purpose of this study was to blend together the idea that it is in our human nature to

mimic the facial expressions of others and that facial expressions are social acts that is uniform

in the organization.

Hypothesis

H1- If I smile at 10 employees whom I never interacted being working in the large organization

with 300 employees working in the same building reciprocates with smile result in greater

positivity in the organization. The reason behind is that having the shared goal in the

organization and all are dependent on each other. The study was held in the organization

premise.

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The Smile Experiment

facial expressions of the participants were operationalized on a scale with an expression

scale ranging from 1 as a smile to 0 as no smile.

Method

This was a naturalistic observation study observing the reciprocation of smile on Monday

which is one the busiest day being the starting of the week. There is no specific ages being

selected.

The independent variable in this study is the social situations being employees are there in the

organization. The dependent variable is the range of facial expressions i.e., smile and no smile.

I particularly pass by the employees whom I never interacted for which I went to first

floor as I sit in second floor where I know most of the employees. I have not chosen any gender

specific as that is an independent variable.

Figure 1.1 The Smile Experiment

Employees Gender Facial Expression Rating

Employee 1 Male 1
Employee 2 Male 1
Employee 3 Male 1
Employee 4 Female 0
Employee 5 Male 1
Employee 6 Female 1
Employee 7 Female 1
Employee 8 Male 0
Employee 9 Male 1
Employee 10 Male 1

Results

As predicted, only 2 employees did not smile back, however, the rest 8 employees smiled back to
my smile. The underlying motivation to smile is the fact that we all are working towards one goal
o the organization. The reason for 2 people who did not smile could be because they might be
preoccupied with the work and uninterested for social engagement at that moment.

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The Smile Experiment

Discussion

The study has high potential and can be explored further. As smile can be demonstration of
humility and approachability of the leader and which can have an impact on the employee’s
motivation towards the work which itself can have a positive impact on the performance of the
employees. Smile is the undervalued trait in the organization.

Limitation

As the sample size is very small, hence, the predictability cannot be confirmed fully. The
underlying mindset at the moment could be further studied which will make the reason of not
smiling can be known.

References

Bartels, A. L., Nahrgang, J. D., Sessions, H., Wilson, K. S., Wu, L., & Law, P. J. (2022). With a frown
or a smile: How leader affective states spark the leader‐follower reciprocal exchange
process. Personnel Psychology, 75(1), 147–177.
https://doi-org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/10.1111/peps.12445