This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Researchers studying facial movements have found that it's not just what you say, but what your face does when you say it, that counts when it comes to appearing confident when answering a question. The new study, led by researchers at the University of Glasgow and published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, found that brow and eye movements had a significant impact on how confident a speaker was judged to be by those listening to them.
Understanding spoken language requires more than just decoding words. Successful communication relies on a range of signals including speech, vocal tone, facial expressions and physical gestures. However, while gestures and vocal cues are known to influence how speech is interpreted, much less is known about how facial movements shape perceptions of speaker confidence.
To investigate whether facial movements influence how people are perceived, the research team created computer-generated 'speakers' representing two different cultural backgrounds who answered questions. The researchers varied the speaker's facial movements around the eyes and eyebrows while keeping their spoken words and vocal tone consistent. Participants from Western European and East Asian cultures watched and listened to the different versions of the speakers and rated how confident their answers appeared.
Overall, the researchers found that participants from both Western European and East Asian cultures associated raised eyebrows and briefly closed eyes with greater confidence. In contrast, lowered brows and narrowed eyes were associated with doubt or a lack of confidence. Researchers say their findings highlight the vital role facial movements play in human communication, alongside language and nonverbal gestures.
Jonas Nölle, the postdoctoral researcher at the University of Glasgow who led the study, said, "When interpreting speech, listeners draw on more than just the words and voice. By experimentally manipulating facial signals while holding verbal content constant, our study shows that even when the words and vocal cues remain the same, changing the speaker's facial movements can alter how confident or doubtful their answers appear." Rachael Jack, honorary senior research fellow at the University of Glasgow and corresponding author of the study, said, "Across cultures, brow raising and eye closure were associated with increased perceived confidence, whereas brow lowering and eye tightening were associated with doubt. These findings extend previous observational accounts of facial signals in conversation by demonstrating that such movements do not merely accompany speech but actively shape how it is understood." Jonas Nölle et al., Dynamic facial movements shape how confident speakers appear, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (2026).
DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2026.2044 BSc Life Sciences & Ecology. Microbiology lab background with pharmaceutical news experience in oil, gas, and renewable industries. Full profile → Bachelor's in mathematical biology, Master's in creative writing.
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