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 Emotions are mental states brought on by neurophysiological changes, variously associated with thoughts, feelings, behavioral responses, and a degree of pleasure or displeasure. There is currently no scientific consensus on a definitio ...

, depression, boredom or slight confusion, such as when a listener does not understand what has been said. Another possible cause for a blank expression is traumatic brain injury such as a

concussion A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include loss of consciousness (LOC); memory loss; headaches; difficulty with thinking, concentration ...

. If someone has just been hit on the head and retains a blank or dazed expression, this can be an early warning of a concussion. Psychiatric disorders such as

schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social w ...

, facial paralysis, and

post-traumatic stress disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that can develop because of exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats o ...

, may also cause a blank expression. If medical conditions such as these are the cause of the blank expression, medication and therapy may be used as treatment to regain normal expression.

Poker face

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 A card game is any game using playing cards as the primary device with which the game is played, be they traditional or game-specific. Countless card games exist, including families of related games (such as poker). A small number of card ga ...

poker Poker is a family of comparing card games in which players wager over which hand is best according to that specific game's rules. It is played worldwide, however in some places the rules may vary. While the earliest known form of the game wa ...

. This term comes from the special language used in poker, and is not only about your facial expression but also other extraneous movements that could give insight into what you are feeling, such as clenching fists, bouncing a leg, or constant repositioning of your body and or cards. If someone has expressed that you have a poker face, it generally tends to mean that you are hard to read and they do not know what you are thinking. The first recorded publication of the term ''poker face'' is from the 1875 book "Cavendish. Round games at cards." which reads "It follows that the possession of a good poker face is an advantage. No one who has any pretensions to good play will betray the value of his hand by gesture, change of countenance, or any other symptom." 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). It is similarly used with reference to marketers and salespeople during business negotiations.

Poker face

See also

References

General references

Inline citations