Whatchu lookin at? Here's why you have a Resting Bitch Face and it's not your fault

Two behavioral science researchers, Jason Rogers and Abbe Macbeth from Noldus Information Technology took it upon themselves to answer this puzzle relating to one's countenance - the resting bitch face

FP Staff|Feb 03, 2016, 18:22:18 IST

Science answers everything, even why some people have a 'resting bitch face', unless you're deliberately making that face. Washington Post reports that two behavioral science researchers, Jason Rogers and Abbe Macbeth from Noldus Information Technology took it upon themselves to answer this 'mind boggling' question relating to one's countenance.

via GIPHYThey wanted to know why we consider some faces as 'expressionless', 'off-putting' and what on the Internet is known as the Resting Bitch Face (RBF). Washington Post elaborates upon how the researchers used Noldus' FaceReader, a software tool specifically created to identify expressions from a database of more than 10,000 images of human faces.

via GIPHYThe software studies faces through live camera, photographs or video clips and marks 500 points on the human face. These points are then analysed to explain the eight human emotions: neutral, contempt, disgust, surprise, fear, anger, sadness and happiness.

via GIPHYAccording to Mirror UK, the RBF is not specific to females and the "condition" is equal in male and female faces — so perhaps, it is more about our understanding of social norms than physiology. The researchers told Washington Post that they wanted their research to be "fun and kind of tongue-in-cheek" but also to have "scientific data backing it up."

via GIPHYAccording to Metro UK, the researchers analysed photos of celebrities like Kristen Stewart, Kanye West and The Queen (all severely criticised on social media for their RBF) by assigning the human emotion, contempt. Macbeth said that some features in the 'neutral' expression of the face were relaying contempt, "It's a kind of tightening around the eyes, and a little bit of raising of the corners of the lips," she is quoted in Metro UK.

via GIPHY"Something in the neutral expression of the face is relaying contempt, both to the software and to us," said Abbe. "It’s kind of a tightening around the eyes, and a little bit of raising of the corners of the lips — but not into a smile."

via GIPHYThat's all folks. Keep that face up.

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