Why face reconstrucions and pictures of missing people almost always have a smile?

It's only hurting - only good thing which came of it is maybe a little bit comfort for families of missing people but...

I can't recognize people if I saw only their BIG smile. Every time I'm meeting with someone who I've never saw before, just on a picture with huge full smile I could not recognize them. Like not at all - and I am painting portraits for years and usually remember faces for very very long time.

I know that most likely sound stupid and I'm sorry for that, but this is what I'm thinking every time I'm seeing picture of someone who's missing or unidentified victim.
It's making me even more sad when I realize that there is that small chance that I could saw that person, know her or him, but I'll never know that because people are not smiling like this normally.

This is like... how is this possible that official face reconstruct looks like that? Proffesionals have to know that there is no way of knowing how decesead person's smile looked like. Even if shape of mouth, nose, eyebrows etc. are showed correctly, wrong mimic can totally change how a person looks.

And this is so so so much more important when it calls to people's old memories or that seconds while they could saw someone, not sure if this could be the same person.

Is there any reason why facial reconstructions have a smile on them? And so many missing posters?

I don't have a link, but decades ago I earned a degree in Psychology.

Research shows that in the US at least, people look longer at a smiling face.

If the recons & sketches looked angry or sad, people in the US wouldn't notice or pay as much attention.

Maybe this has changed in the intervening decades, but that's what I was taught.

Interested in hearing theories and especially information from others here!

I don't have a link, but decades ago I earned a few degrees too. :happydance:

Perhaps pictures of smiling faces makes the missing more "real", "relatable" and "likeable" which could instill more interest in the public to solve the cases?

ATasteOfHoney said:

I don't have a link, but decades ago I earned a few degrees too. :happydance:

Perhaps pictures of smiling faces makes the missing more "real", "relatable" and "likeable" which could instill more interest in the public to solve the cases?

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I expect that non-threatening is also included, we're mammals & we've survived so far....

OT: 1) Herb Alpert, my Dad had every album, the dog is intrigued when I notice your posts and start singing

OT: 2) If I had a nickel for every credit hour, I'd buy us each a fancy coffee.

Laughing said:

I expect that non-threatening is also included, we're mammals & we've survived so far....

OT: 1) Herb Alpert, my Dad had every album, the dog is intrigued when I notice your posts and start singing

OT: 2) If I had a nickel for every credit hour, I'd buy us each a fancy coffee.

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Laughing.....thanks for getting it--Herb Alpert. Brilliant music, imo.
As far as credit hours & nickels.......I think we could pool them & buy ourselves a Starbucks! :scared:

ATasteOfHoney said:

Laughing.....thanks for getting it--Herb Alpert. Brilliant music, imo.
As far as credit hours & nickels.......I think we could pool them & buy ourselves a Starbucks! :scared:

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Chai Latte, all around!

Oooh, would Senor Alpert join us???