Though smiling generally increases trust, new research provides evidence that it can backfire for people with certain antisocial personality traits.
The study, published in PLOS One, examined how personality traits and facial expressions interacted to influence perceptions of trustworthiness.
Previous research has found evidence that smiles increase cooperation while signs of personality disorder decrease cooperation.
The participants read a brief description of the person, which described them as having traits consistent with either borderline personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, or no personality pathology.
These descriptions were paired with a brief video clip that showed them with either a neutral expression or a smile.
However, when displayed by an individual with antisocial traits, a smile can make them appear less trustworthy.
However, this time around, smiles increased the amount of money transferred to those who were described as having antisocial personality pathology. »