Trust, Deception, and Emotion: What Faces Reveal and Conceal

The event, which is part of a fundraising evening in support of the MA Museum Studies students' upcoming exhibition about Patterns (opening May 2025), is being held in the UCL Culture Lab.

Abstract

Humans are biologically wired to recognise and interpret faces, a capability that profoundly shapes social interactions. This talk delves into the power of facial perception, exploring how subtle cues influence first impressions, political outcomes, and legal judgements. It also examines the complexities of deception detection, including micro-expressions, and the contested role of Duchenne smiles in conveying genuine emotion. Finally, the talk compares human perception to automated emotion recognition systems, highlighting their limitations and future potential. Understanding how we interpret faces—and the biases inherent in this process—has far-reaching implications for psychology, artificial intelligence, and real-world decision-making.

While entry is free, any donations made on the evening would be greatly appreciated. There are limited spaces so please book your seat via email to kelsey.fisher.24@ucl.ac.uk.

Links

• UCL MA Museum Studies programme
• UCL East

Image: Poster for MA Museum Studies fundraising event - a interactive lecture on 'Trust, Deception, and Emotion: What Faces Reveal and Conceal'