Distortion Plays Into How People Percieve Emotions...

Interesting page on Japanese vs. Dutch methods of perceiving emotions, Japanese compensate for distortion of masked anger by paying more attention to the voice than the facial expressions...the muscles are universal, but the distortions are culture specific: http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/news/releases/perception-of-emotion-is-culture-specific.html

Remember that as actors, there are lots of tools at our disposal...you can disconnect the voice from the facial reactions, if the piece calls for it.

Research on Cultural Display Rules: Russians Never Smile In Public

It's tough to find a photo of a cultural display rule in action, so in this instance, a fun article from Psychology Today is filling in for Photo/Video Monday.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200901/global-psyche-national-poker-face

Article on Introverts vs. Extroverts

Some people who are tough to read might just be introverts. If you find yourself playing a character that is your natural opposite, there are plenty of resources available to help you understand the character's inner life. This article from Psychology Today is on the differences between introverts and extroverts.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201008/revenge-the-introvert