Lie Detection: Emotional Intelligence and the Facial Action Coding System
Abstract
The current research examines the validity, reliability, and uses of the Facial Action
Coding System (FACS), as well as related programs dealing with lie detection and
emotional intelligence. FACS is a comprehensive system used to study the muscle
firings and tonus of the face, and is utilized by law enforcement professionals, criminal
psychiatrists, and security details to discern emotion, personality, temperament, and
future behavior. FACS has also aided in the development of EMF ACS, an emotional
scoring system, and more recently FACSAID, which links facial expression with
corresponding psychological interpretations through a database of coded images. There
have been many incarnations of facial behavior coding, beginning with research by
Landis in 1924 and culminating in FACS. The FACS program is based upon 44 Action
Units, ranking intensity of all possible facial actions on a 5-point scale, while also
including directions for duration measurement of each action. Spontaneous and
emotional actions have been studied, and FACS has been utilized to study the six basic
human emotions (surprise, fear, happiness, sadness, disgust, and anger) with provided
Action Unit codings for each.