Which of the following statements about the six universal facial expressions is NOT true?

• A. Surprise
• B. Happiness
• C. Disgust
• D. Boredom

Answer: (D)

Universally recognized facial expressions come from six basic emotions that people across cultures tend to read reliably. Happiness, surprise, and disgust are part of that set, each with clear facial cues: happiness often shows a genuine smile with eye crinkles, surprise shows widened eyes and raised eyebrows, and disgust involves a wrinkled nose and raised upper lip. Boredom, on the other hand, is not included in these universal expressions because it doesn’t have a consistent, cross-cultural facial signature. In clinical or therapeutic communication, recognizing these genuine expressions helps you gauge emotion and respond with empathy, rather than misreading a neutral or disengaged look. So the statement that boredom is one of the six universal facial expressions isn’t accurate.