Thursday, June 4, 2009

More Than Meets The Eye

Out of Pink's book, I decided to try Simon Baron-Cohen's Mind in the Eyes Test because the activity sounded interesting to me. I learned more in the ten minute test than I do some days.

People's eyes are used for much more than just seeing. Eyes tell a lot about a person's emotions. Before I took this test, I never noticed that a person's eyes can even tell more than a smile can. People can fake a smile, but, as I learned in Pink's book, their eyes will always rat them out and reveal the true emotion.

I only missed six of the thirty-six questions, and the questions I missed were ones in which I did not go with my first instinct. I answered fifteen questions right before I missed my first one because I started doubting myself. When I started doubting myself, I started missing. Not only did I learn that eyes tell a lot about a person's emotions, I learned not to doubt myself and go with my first instinct.

Below are a couple of examples from the test:







The possible answers for the first picture are ashamed, nervous, suspicious, and indecisive. For me, the answer was obviously suspicious, and I was right. The possible answers for the second picture are impatient, aghast, irritated, and reflective. The answer was not as obvious as the one for the first picture. I chose impatient, but the actual answer was reflective. For each picture, I had to analyze whether the emotion was positive, negative, or neutral. From that point, I could eliminate some of the choices to reach the right one.

Some emotions are not as noticeable though the eyes as others. For the most part, though, most emotion are expressed clearly through people's eyes. I not only learned to distinguish emotions from people's eyes but also learned the usefulness of the test taking skills of elimination and going with that first instinct.

3 comments:

Tammy Gillmore said...

I am reading Pink's book also this summer as part of an online study with our 21 CLC team (group of BHS teachers).

Good post...very interesting.

I remember in college a librarian telling me one thing she liked about me was that I looked people in the eyes when I talked to them. Didn't realize that I did that until then...but have never forgotten what she said to me.

sheflair said...

This exercise reminds me of the TV show "The Mentalist." Have you seen it? A police detective uses body language clues, among other seemingly supernatural abilities, to help solve cases.

Thanks for sharing.

mpalese said...

Now that Mrs. Huff mentions "The Mentalist", a show I watch sometimes with my older brother, that test also reminds me on Patrick Jane, and how he observes people to help solve a crime. I am now more anxious to read this book.