# Do people from other cultures roll their eyes when annoyed? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 18, 2015, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-from-other-cultures-roll-their-eyes-when-annoyed/715337 "2015-03-18T23:30:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-from-other-cultures-roll-their-eyes-when-annoyed/715337/21 "2015-03-19T21:52:54Z")
The “rolling” is indeed part of the gesture. Without it (simply looking up), the meaning is quite different . . . possibly an appeal to God or the heavens for strength or wisdom. I have noticed that the rolling has become more extreme in recent years. ---
**Author:** ![get\_lives](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@get\_lives](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/get_lives)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-from-other-cultures-roll-their-eyes-when-annoyed/715337/22 "2015-03-19T23:35:44Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > This [article](http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2011/09/facial-expressions.aspx) from the American Psychological Association says differently: The study showed a difference of relative focus on different regions of the face when guessing emotions of others from facial expression, NOT that people from different cultures have different expressions for the same emotion. How many pages deep in the Google results did you have to look to find this? LOL people are hilarious ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-from-other-cultures-roll-their-eyes-when-annoyed/715337/23 "2015-03-20T02:40:00Z")
> [@get\_lives](#): > > Nodding for yes is actually the norm in the vast majority of cultures all over the world. That’s a gesture, though, not an expression. Well ok, when you talk about _basic_ facial expressions (smiling & laughing=happiness; frowning & crying=sadness)…the basic ones appear to be instinctual. Babies e.g. smile when they are happy & cry when sad regardless of the culture they were raised in. But eye-rolling doesn’t seem like an organic facial expression/gesture to me. It seems learned. ---
**Author:** ![get\_lives](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@get\_lives](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/get_lives)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-from-other-cultures-roll-their-eyes-when-annoyed/715337/24 "2015-03-20T03:24:16Z")
> [@Enola\_Gay](#): > > Well ok, when you talk about _basic_ facial expressions (smiling & laughing=happiness; frowning & crying=sadness)…the basic ones appear to be instinctual. Babies e.g. smile when they are happy & cry when sad regardless of the culture they were raised in. > > But eye-rolling doesn’t seem like an organic facial expression/gesture to me. It seems learned. Many emotions have hard-wired expressions. Nearly all, in fact. However, I have to say that eye-rolling isn’t really an expression, and I suspect it’s more learned. ---
**Author:** ![Elemenopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5e925/32.png) [@Elemenopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elemenopy)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-from-other-cultures-roll-their-eyes-when-annoyed/715337/25 "2015-03-20T13:46:49Z")
Huh. I always thought eye-rolling (in U.S.) was simply a pronounced blink and glance heavenward, usually with a tut or a sigh…or a mild profanity. Much as Nava describes. I seem to recall eye-rolling described in some older Chinese tales as being indicative of greed or excitement, maybe in “The Good Earth.” There, I imagined it to be a more 3-D rolling around of the eyes. ETA: Thanks to this, I’ve been trying to roll my eyes all around, and now my contacts are getting wonky. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-from-other-cultures-roll-their-eyes-when-annoyed/715337/26 "2015-03-20T15:05:06Z")
> [@get\_lives](#): > > The study showed a difference of relative focus on different regions of the face when guessing emotions of others from facial expression, NOT that people from different cultures have different expressions for the same emotion. Um, do you even read your own posts? You are the one who asserted, in the second post, that "Most facial expressions are cross-cultural, if not all. " They clearly, provably, without a doubt are not. > [@get\_lives](#): > > How many pages deep in the Google results did you have to look to find this? LOL people are hilarious First hit, actually. You should try it sometime. [sub]I know, this is a waste of time. Presenting **get lives** with facts is like presenting a cat with a head of lettuce. It just gets ignored.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![get\_lives](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@get\_lives](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/get_lives)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-from-other-cultures-roll-their-eyes-when-annoyed/715337/27 "2015-03-20T15:55:15Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > Um, do you even read your own posts? You are the one who asserted, in the second post, that "Most facial expressions are cross-cultural, if not all. " They clearly, provably, without a doubt are not. > > First hit, actually. You should try it sometime. > > [sub]I know, this is a waste of time. Presenting **get lives** with facts is like presenting a cat with a head of lettuce. It just gets ignored.[/sub] Reported for personal insult in GQ. 🙂 Your study was about cultural differences in focus on different facial features as a way of reading emotion in others, NOT the actual expressions themselves… I’ve actually read several books on the subject of facial expressions. I suggest you start down that same path. Would you like some suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-from-other-cultures-roll-their-eyes-when-annoyed/715337/28 "2015-03-20T16:16:11Z")
This may be junior modding here, but the less passive-agressive option might be to simply list a few relevant titles. There may be other folks interested in the generalities of this topic without caring about – or wanting to be involved in – this particular little pissing contest. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-from-other-cultures-roll-their-eyes-when-annoyed/715337/29 "2015-03-20T16:41:21Z")
> [@get\_lives](#): > > How many pages deep in the Google results did you have to look to find this? LOL people are hilarious > [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > [sub]I know, this is a waste of time. Presenting **get lives** with facts is like presenting a cat with a head of lettuce. It just gets ignored.[/sub] **Moderator Note** This being GQ, let’s dial it back. No warnings issued. > [@get\_lives](#): > > Reported for personal insult in GQ. 🙂 I’m not sure what the smiley is supposed to suggest. Do you mean you’re joking and don’t really consider it an insult? In any case, it would be better not to be snarky to people if you’re sensitive about them responding in kind. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![get\_lives](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@get\_lives](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/get_lives)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-from-other-cultures-roll-their-eyes-when-annoyed/715337/30 "2015-03-20T17:14:15Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > This may be junior modding here, but the less passive-agressive option might be to simply list a few relevant titles. There may be other folks interested in the generalities of this topic without caring about – or wanting to be involved in – this particular little pissing contest. [Unmasking The Face](http://www.amazon.com/Unmasking-Face-Recognizing-Emotions-Expressions/dp/1883536367/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1426871427&sr=8-3&keywords=facial+expressions) This is actually a practical guide on reading emotions through expression, as well as a general text. ---
**Author:** ![get\_lives](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@get\_lives](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/get_lives)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-from-other-cultures-roll-their-eyes-when-annoyed/715337/31 "2015-03-20T17:18:33Z")
[Here](http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/are_facial_expressions_universal) is a good article on the universality of facial expressions. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-from-other-cultures-roll-their-eyes-when-annoyed/715337/32 "2015-03-20T17:51:36Z")
In Norwegian we have a verb that’s used exclusively for looking upwards in exasperation. “himle”. I’ve never head it used in any other context than “himle med øya” - “turn your eyes heaven-/sky-wards”. Indicates a well established expression, I’d say. ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_blistering_barnacle/32/3386_2.png) [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Blistering_Barnacle)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-from-other-cultures-roll-their-eyes-when-annoyed/715337/33 "2015-03-20T22:05:16Z")
Where I have worked, there were, in the past, allegations of employee eye-rolling so extreme that it was audible on the telephone. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-from-other-cultures-roll-their-eyes-when-annoyed/715337/34 "2015-03-20T22:23:01Z")
It has various names around the Caribbean but instead of rolling your eyes people suck air in through their teeth(in Trinidad they call it a stupsh?). Think the sound of air escaping a puncture. ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2015, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-from-other-cultures-roll-their-eyes-when-annoyed/715337/35 "2015-03-21T14:25:38Z")
> [@grude](#): > > It has various names around the Caribbean but instead of rolling your eyes people suck air in through their teeth(in Trinidad they call it a stupsh?). Think the sound of air escaping a puncture. Steups. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-from-other-cultures-roll-their-eyes-when-annoyed/715337/36 "2015-03-23T13:33:42Z")
And here is another [cite](http://www.popsci.com/article/science/facial-expressions-arent-universal-we-thought) that shows facial expressions are not as universal as once thought. The expriments that originally presented toward universality were generally flawed, as they used a methodology that limited reponses to a preset list. Free associating experiments have given vastly different results. > [@](#): > > “By giving people six words and six faces, you’re already pre-categorizing, you’re pre-loading the choices for the subject—you’re actively reducing ambiguity,” Barrett tells Popular Science. “You’re priming a set of emotion categories, providing a conceptual context for the subject, and that’s helping their response. So when we provide conceptual context, we get six piles. When we don’t, the subject gives you—they don’t give you a random sort, they certainly separate positive from negative, and they do better at separating some of the negatives from each other, but it’s not a perfect sort, by any means. It’s a very noisy sort.” In other words, those basic emotions aren’t really universally perceived at all—whether or not you’ve been culturally conditioned to look for them, and whether or not you’re given them as options in advance, absolutely matter. ---
**Author:** ![get\_lives](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@get\_lives](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/get_lives)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-from-other-cultures-roll-their-eyes-when-annoyed/715337/37 "2015-03-23T14:25:33Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > And here is another [cite](http://www.popsci.com/article/science/facial-expressions-arent-universal-we-thought) that shows facial expressions are not as universal as once thought. The expriments that originally presented toward universality were generally flawed, as they used a methodology that limited reponses to a preset list. Free associating experiments have given vastly different results. The claim was never about READING faces. It was about the fact that people make specific faces for specific emotion, I.e., most major “pure” emotional states produce a hard-wired facial expression. The study even mentioned that facial recognition software is now better than humans are at reading emotion ffrom facial expression. Here’s the relevant quote from your link: “For the record, though humans are pretty lousy at identifying each other’s expressions,robots do it really wellthese days…” And here’s the embedded link FROM that quoted text: [software can read emotions very well](http://motherboard.vice.com/read/computers-can-read-emotions-better-than-you-can) That particular research was done only on Americans, and it identified 21 separate expressions that were hardwired for everyone. If you want to prove me wrong, then find a study showing that facial recognition software is able to sort people into cultures by facial expression alone. You never will. It’s hardwired. Most people who’ve raised children from birth, and paid close atrention to their kid’s facial expressions early on, know this. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-from-other-cultures-roll-their-eyes-when-annoyed/715337/38 "2015-03-24T14:07:03Z")
NM, moving on. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-from-other-cultures-roll-their-eyes-when-annoyed/715337.md?page=1)