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A blank expression is a facial expression characterized by neutral positioning of the facial features, implying a lack of strong emotion. It may be caused by a lack of emotion, depression, boredom or slight confusion, such as when someone refers to something which the listener does not understand. A deliberately-induced blank expression meant to conceal one's emotions is also known as a poker face, referring to the common practice of maintaining one's composure when playing the card game poker.[1][2]
The term poker face was used outside the game of poker by American sportswriters in the 1920s to describe a competitor who appeared unaffected by stressful situations (an important skill when playing poker for money, to avoid giving an opponent any tells about one's hand).[3] It is similarly used with reference to marketers and salespeople during business negotiations.[4]
See also
- Catatonia
- Deadpan
- Highway hypnosis
- Poker face (disambiguation)
- Thousand-yard stare
References
General references
- Jan Hargrave (2010). Poker Face: The Art of Analyzing Poker Tells. Kendall Hunt Pub Co. ISBN 0-7575-7789-X.
- David Naimark; Ansar Haroun (2011). Poker Face in Mental Health Practice: A Primer on Deception Analysis and Detection. W W Norton & Co Inc. ISBN 0-393-70699-0.
Inline citations
- ^ Judi James (2007). Poker Face: Mastering Body Language to Bluff, Read Tells and Win. Da Capo Press. p. 17. ISBN 1-60094-051-X.
- ^ Richard D. Harroch; Lou Krieger (2011). Poker For Dummies. For Dummies. p. 22. ISBN 1-118-05358-3.
- ^ Joey Lee Dillard (1985). Toward a social history of American English. Walter de Gruyter. p. 169. ISBN 3-11-010584-5.
- ^ Arnold S. Goldstein (1981). The Complete Guide to Buying and Selling a Business. Penguin Group USA. p. 154. ISBN 0-452-26111-2.