Paul Ekman: biography, books and theories

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

Paul Ekman is a famous American psychologist who is an unsurpassed specialist in the field of human emotions. He created his own theory, which allows, based only on facial expressions, gestures and other visible factors, to recognize the true thoughts of a person.

Short biography

Paul Ekman was born in 1934 in the city of Washington. Studied at the Universities of Chicago and New York. In 1958, he received a PhD in clinical psychology from Adelphi University. After that, he began working at the Neuropsychiatric Institute. From 1958 to 1960, Ekman served as an officer in the US Army. Having repaid his debt to his homeland, he returned to the institute and worked there until 2004.

He began to study body language and facial expressions in 1954. On this topic, the psychologist began scientific practice as early as 1955, and in 1957 his first publication was published. After that, Ekman spent 10 years researching social psychology and cultural differences. Also in parallel, he was studying facial expressions and human emotions corresponding to it. These studies formed the basis of his subsequent"theories of deception".

The National Institute of Mental He alth has supported all of Paul Ekman's research for 40 years and has honored him with many awards for his remarkable achievements in scientific research.

Paul Ekman's works, as well as articles about him, are published in many American and foreign popular publications. Also, the Ph. D. can often be seen on TV screens in various programs and shows. He did not pass the cinema either - his image served as the prototype of the protagonist in the TV series "Lie to me".

Today, Ekman is a professor at the University of San Francisco, and is also the head of a company that develops methods and devices for studying emotions and facial microexpressions.

Paul Ekman System

Special attention should be paid to the methodology and a number of theories that made the psychologist famous. Paul Ekman's system was based on the dogma that all internal emotions are reflected on human faces, which give impetus to action (motivation). That is, if you can recognize these emotions, you can not only determine the deceit in the situation that has occurred, but also predict what actions a person is able to take in the future.

The psychologist tried to understand whether it is possible to read faces, and whether there are certain clear rules that govern human facial expressions. To find out, Paul Ekman traveled to many countries in the late 60s, where he showed local residents a set of photographs of people whose faces expressed various emotions. And the natives of different countries are exactly the sameinterpreted what they saw. The result of this experiment was the conclusion that each person controls his facial expressions in accordance with innate skills, and they are almost the same for everyone. And in no way dependent on any social conditions of life, as previously thought.

After establishing this fact, Ekman, together with a colleague, began to create a catalog of facial expressions in the presence of a different spectrum of emotions.

Books by Paul Ekman

The uniqueness of the books of Professor Paul Ekman lies in the fact that they are based on his many years of research and deep psychological analysis of the phenomenon of lies. His works are not just a fascinating reading, they are a guide to action. He created many interesting works, the Russian-language editions of which are represented by the following copies:

1) Why Kids Lie (1993).

2) Psychology of lies (1999-2010).

3) “Psychology of lies. Lie to me if you can (2010).

4) "Recognize a liar by facial expression" (2010).

5) “Psychology of emotions. I know how you feel” (2010).

6) “The wisdom of East and West. Psychology of Balance” (2010).

7) "Recognize a liar by facial expression" (2013).

All Paul Ekman's books are based on one basis - his theories. Consider the most popular of them.

Psychology of lies

This is the most popular of all 14 books that Paul Ekman created. "The Psychology of Lies" is a real guide for people who want to learn how to identify lies and avoid psychologicalmanipulation of their personalities. The book defines lies, reveals their causes, classifies them according to forms and gives the main methods by which they can be recognized.

The book defines the very concept of lies, the reasons for its occurrence, specific forms, moral and social aspects, and also provides all kinds of recognition methods. It teaches you to notice specific microexpressions (facial signs) and microgestures that can betray a liar.

In 2010, the 2nd edition was born - "Lie to me". Paul Ekman's book is intended for a wide range of readers, from housewives to politicians and businessmen. She will help everyone who does not want to become a victim of deception.

Psychology of emotions. I know how you feel

This book deals with all the basic human emotions - both explicit and hidden. It is written in a simple, accessible manner, filled with interesting facts and anecdotes from life, and also contains many practical recommendations. This work will allow you to better understand yourself, what moves you, what emotions dominate your life, and how it affects it. It will also help you get to know others. It will teach you not to make mistakes, but to move forward, to new victories and achievements both at home and at work.

The book written by Paul Ekman, The Psychology of Emotions, is a reference book that helps you recognize, evaluate and correct emotions in yourself and others in the early stages.

Recognize a liar by facial expression

This is the professor's new book,which can be called a continuation of The Psychology of Lies. It is a kind of “simulator” for recognizing human emotions. It will allow you to understand the true feelings of almost any person: fear, sadness, surprise, anger, joy, disgust. Using this book, you can always find out how sincere a person is in showing feelings for you. It will help improve your skills in protecting against deception.

The book contains a huge number of photographs for a good example. It also has special exercises to help identify lies.

Paul Ekman Trainer

A special micro-expression recognition simulator was created. It is freely available, it is very easy to buy or download to your computer. This is a very good practice after learning the general theory. It will allow you to become a true master of deception.

Here you will be presented with human faces expressing various emotions, and you will need to guess what feeling is displayed on them - fear, sadness, surprise, anger, joy, disgust.

Paul Ekman is a real genius who is deservedly admired not only by his readers, but also by scientists. His system is a real breakthrough in the field of psychology. Through many years of research, he was able to create a methodology that helps millions of people around the world in their search for the truth.