Simulation (Pretending / Emotional Deception)

🎭 Simulation (Pretending / Emotional Deception)

🧩 Definition

Simulation refers to the act of displaying false emotions or behaviors to make others believe one feels or is something they’re not.
Unlike verbal lying, which uses words, simulation is deception through facial expressions, tone of voice, gestures, and emotional display.

Examples:

• Smiling politely while disliking someone.
• Pretending to cry to gain sympathy.
• Acting confident in public while feeling anxious inside.

In psychology, simulation is considered a form of emotional deception — often used in social contexts to shape perception, build an image, or avoid conflict.

📚 Reference:
Ekman, P., & Friesen, W.V. (1975). Unmasking the Face: A Guide to Recognizing Emotions from Facial Clues.

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🧠 How the Brain Works During “Emotional Pretending”

When a person fakes an emotion, the brain must generate artificial emotional signals that appear genuine, involving several neural systems simultaneously:

• Prefrontal Cortex: Regulates and maintains social goals, controlling facial and vocal expressions.
• Amygdala: Normally processes genuine emotion — but shows muted activity during simulated feelings.
• Insula: Processes internal bodily feelings; during pretense, its activity is suppressed to prevent authentic expression.
• Mirror Neuron System: Allows imitation of others’ emotions — e.g., laughing just because others laugh.

As a result, the brain “plays two roles at once”:
the inner self that truly feels and the outer self that performs.
fMRI research shows that pretending consumes up to twice as much brain energy as expressing genuine emotion.

📚 References:
Lamm, C. et al. (2011). The neural substrate of human empathy: effects of perspective-taking and cognitive appraisal. Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience, 11(3), 394–403.
Schilbach, L. et al. (2008). What would other people think? Medial prefrontal cortex and social cognition. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 12(10), 436–443.

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💡 Why People Pretend

• Self-protection: Acting calm or indifferent to avoid confrontation.
• Impression management: Pretending to be composed, rational, or confident.
• Manipulation: Displaying sadness to evoke guilt or sympathy.
• Social adaptation: Smiling out of politeness to avoid being perceived as rude.

📚 Reference:
Goffman, E. (1959). The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Anchor Books.

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⚖️ Pretending vs. Genuine Emotion

Aspect	Simulation (Pretending)	Genuine Emotion
Origin	Intentionally fabricated emotion	Arises from real internal states
Dominant brain region	Prefrontal cortex dominates over amygdala	Amygdala and insula fully engaged
Energy use	Higher — due to active control and imitation	Lower — natural and spontaneous
Body language accuracy	Slightly off — e.g., a smile without eye wrinkles	Fully synchronized expressions
Emotional outcome	Causes stress and emotional fatigue	Relieves tension and restores balance

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🧬 Psychological Effects of Frequent Pretending

• Leads to emotional exhaustion from constant regulation.
• Creates a “social mask” — blurring the boundary between real and fake identity.
• Chronic pretending dulls activity in the insula and amygdala, reducing sensitivity to genuine emotion.
• Over time, this detachment can result in depersonalization — a sense of being alienated from one’s true self.
• Prolonged emotional dissonance may contribute to anxiety and depression.

📚 References:
Grandey, A.A. (2003). Emotional labor in service roles: The influence of identity and regulation strategies. Academy of Management Review, 28(3), 455–474.
Hochschild, A.R. (1983). The Managed Heart: Commercialization of Human Feeling. University of California Press.

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💬 Summary

Simulation is the brain’s process of fabricating emotional displays to fit social norms or achieve personal goals.
Psychologically, it slowly erodes one’s authentic emotional sense —
because every time we pretend, the brain becomes less sure whether we’re truly feeling or merely performing.

🎭 “When you wear a mask too long, you forget the face beneath it.”

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📚 Main References

Ekman, P., & Friesen, W.V. (1975). Unmasking the Face.
Goffman, E. (1959). The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life.
Lamm, C. et al. (2011). Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience.
Hochschild, A.R. (1983). The Managed Heart.
Grandey, A.A. (2003). Academy of Management Review.

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