scholarly journals Culture Shapes the Distinctiveness of Posed and Spontaneous Facial Expressions of Anger and Disgust

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xia Fang ◽  
Disa Sauter ◽  
Marc Heerdink ◽  
Gerben van Kleef
Keyword(s):  
Facial Expressions ◽  
Supervised Machine Learning ◽  
Emotional Communication ◽  
Facial Muscle ◽  
Emotional Facial Expressions ◽  
Information Theoretic ◽  
Facial Expressions Of Emotion ◽  
First Time ◽  
Homogeneous Culture

There is a growing consensus that culture influences the perception of facial expressions of emotion. However, little is known about whether and how culture shapes the production of emotional facial expressions, and even less so about whether culture differentially shapes the production of posed versus spontaneous expressions. Drawing on prior work on cultural differences in emotional communication, we tested the prediction that people from the Netherlands (a historically heterogeneous culture where people are prone to low-context communication) produce facial expressions that are more distinct across emotions compared to people from China (a historically homogeneous culture where people are prone to high-context communication). Furthermore, we examined whether the degree of distinctiveness varies across posed and spontaneous expressions. Dutch and Chinese participants were instructed to either pose facial expressions of anger and disgust, or to share autobiographical events that elicited spontaneous expressions of anger or disgust. Using the complementary approaches of supervised machine learning and information-theoretic analysis of facial muscle movements, we show that posed and spontaneous facial expressions of anger and disgust were more distinct when produced by Dutch compared to Chinese participants. These findings shed new light on the role of culture in emotional communication by demonstrating, for the first time, effects on the distinctiveness of production of facial expressions.

scholarly journals Dynamic facial expressions of emotion decouple emotion category and intensity information over time

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chaona Chen ◽  
Daniel Messinger ◽  
Yaocong Duan ◽  
Robin A A Ince ◽  
Oliver G. B. Garrod ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Facial Expressions ◽  
Temporal Structure ◽  
Emotion Classification ◽  
Information Theoretic ◽  
Facial Movements ◽  
Communicative Functions ◽  
Intensity Information ◽  
Dynamic Facial Expressions ◽  
Facial Expressions Of Emotion

Facial expressions support effective social communication by dynamically transmitting complex, multi-layered messages, such as emotion categories and their intensity. How facial expressions achieve this signalling task remains unknown. Here, we address this question by identifying the specific facial movements that convey two key components of emotion communication – emotion classification (such as ‘happy,’ ‘sad’) and intensification (such as ‘very strong’) – in the six classic emotions (happy, surprise, fear, disgust, anger and sad). Using a data-driven, reverse correlation approach and an information-theoretic analysis framework, we identified in 60 Western receivers three communicative functions of face movements: those used to classify the emotion (classifiers), to perceive emotional intensity (intensifiers), and those serving the dual role of classifier and intensifier. We then validated the communicative functions of these face movements in a broader set of 18 complex facial expressions of emotion (including excited, shame, anxious, hate). We find that the timing of emotion classifier and intensifier face movements are temporally distinct, in which intensifiers peaked earlier or later than classifiers. Together, these results reveal the complexities of facial expressions as a signalling system, in which individual face movements serve specific communicative functions with a clear temporal structure.

scholarly journals The effects of facial attractiveness on spontaneous facial mimicry.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katlyn Peck
Keyword(s):  
Facial Expressions ◽  
Facial Attractiveness ◽  
Social Bonding ◽  
Facial Muscle ◽  
Emotional Facial Expressions ◽  
Facial Mimicry ◽  
Facial Movements ◽  
Emotional Perception ◽  
The Relationship

When individuals are presented with emotional facial expressions they spontaneously react with brief, distinct facial movements that ‘mimic’ the presented faces. While the effects of facial mimicry on emotional perception and social bonding have been well documented, the role of facial attractiveness on the elicitation of facial mimicry is unknown. We hypothesized that facial mimicry would increase with more attractive faces. Facial movements were recorded with electromyography upon presentation of averaged and original stimuli while ratings of attractiveness and intensity were obtained. In line with existing findings, emotionally congruent responses were observed in relevant facial muscle regions. Unexpectedly, the strength of observers’ facial mimicry responses decreased with more averaged faces, despite being rated perceptually as more attractive. These findings suggest that facial attractiveness moderates the degree of facial mimicry muscle movements elicited in observers. The relationship between averageness, attractiveness and mimicry is discussed in light of this counterintuitive finding.

scholarly journals The effects of facial attractiveness on spontaneous facial mimicry.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katlyn Peck
Keyword(s):  
Facial Expressions ◽  
Facial Attractiveness ◽  
Social Bonding ◽  
Facial Muscle ◽  
Emotional Facial Expressions ◽  
Facial Mimicry ◽  
Facial Movements ◽  
Emotional Perception ◽  
The Relationship

When individuals are presented with emotional facial expressions they spontaneously react with brief, distinct facial movements that ‘mimic’ the presented faces. While the effects of facial mimicry on emotional perception and social bonding have been well documented, the role of facial attractiveness on the elicitation of facial mimicry is unknown. We hypothesized that facial mimicry would increase with more attractive faces. Facial movements were recorded with electromyography upon presentation of averaged and original stimuli while ratings of attractiveness and intensity were obtained. In line with existing findings, emotionally congruent responses were observed in relevant facial muscle regions. Unexpectedly, the strength of observers’ facial mimicry responses decreased with more averaged faces, despite being rated perceptually as more attractive. These findings suggest that facial attractiveness moderates the degree of facial mimicry muscle movements elicited in observers. The relationship between averageness, attractiveness and mimicry is discussed in light of this counterintuitive finding.

The role of facial expressions in attention-orienting in adults and infants

2013 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 154-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Rigato ◽  
Enrica Menon ◽  
Valentina Di Gangi ◽  
Nathalie George ◽  
Teresa Farroni
Keyword(s):  
Facial Expressions ◽  
Target Location ◽  
Response Times ◽  
Orienting Response ◽  
Peripheral Target ◽  
Visual Response ◽  
Emotional Facial Expressions ◽  
The Face ◽  
Facial Expressions Of Emotion

Faces convey many signals (i.e., gaze or expressions) essential for interpersonal interaction. We have previously shown that facial expressions of emotion and gaze direction are processed and integrated in specific combinations early in life. These findings open a number of developmental questions and specifically in this paper we address whether such emotional signals may modulate the behavior in a following gaze context. A classic spatial cueing paradigm was used to assess whether different facial expressions may cause differential orienting response times and modulate the visual response to a peripheral target in adults and in 4-month-old infants. Results showed that both adults and infants oriented towards a peripheral target when a central face was gazing in the direction of the target location. However, in adults this effect occurred regardless of the facial expression displayed by the face. In contrast, in infants, the emotional facial expressions used, at least in the current study, did not facilitate the attention shift but tended to hold infants’ attention.

scholarly journals Distinct facial expressions represent pain and pleasure across cultures

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (43) ◽  
pp. E10013-E10021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chaona Chen ◽  
Carlos Crivelli ◽  
Oliver G. B. Garrod ◽  
Philippe G. Schyns ◽  
José-Miguel Fernández-Dols ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Facial Expressions ◽  
Mental Representations ◽  
Affective States ◽  
Information Theoretic ◽  
Complementary Approach ◽  
Dynamic Facial Expressions ◽  
Negative Affective States ◽  
Affective Experiences ◽  
New Research

Real-world studies show that the facial expressions produced during pain and orgasm—two different and intense affective experiences—are virtually indistinguishable. However, this finding is counterintuitive, because facial expressions are widely considered to be a powerful tool for social interaction. Consequently, debate continues as to whether the facial expressions of these extreme positive and negative affective states serve a communicative function. Here, we address this debate from a novel angle by modeling the mental representations of dynamic facial expressions of pain and orgasm in 40 observers in each of two cultures (Western, East Asian) using a data-driven method. Using a complementary approach of machine learning, an information-theoretic analysis, and a human perceptual discrimination task, we show that mental representations of pain and orgasm are physically and perceptually distinct in each culture. Cross-cultural comparisons also revealed that pain is represented by similar face movements across cultures, whereas orgasm showed distinct cultural accents. Together, our data show that mental representations of the facial expressions of pain and orgasm are distinct, which questions their nondiagnosticity and instead suggests they could be used for communicative purposes. Our results also highlight the potential role of cultural and perceptual factors in shaping the mental representation of these facial expressions. We discuss new research directions to further explore their relationship to the production of facial expressions.

From Movement to Action

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peggy Mason
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Palsy ◽  
Motor Control ◽  
Facial Expression ◽  
Postural Control ◽  
Facial Expressions ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Emotional Facial Expressions ◽  
Cortical Regions ◽  
Self Motion

Tracts descending from motor control centers in the brainstem and cortex target motor interneurons and in select cases motoneurons. The mechanisms and constraints of postural control are elaborated and the effect of body mass on posture discussed. Feed-forward reflexes that maintain posture during standing and other conditions of self-motion are described. The role of descending tracts in postural control and the pathological posturing is described. Pyramidal (corticospinal and corticobulbar) and extrapyramidal control of body and face movements is contrasted. Special emphasis is placed on cortical regions and tracts involved in deliberate control of facial expression; these pathways are contrasted with mechanisms for generating emotional facial expressions. The signs associated with lesions of either motoneurons or motor control centers are clearly detailed. The mechanisms and presentation of cerebral palsy are described. Finally, understanding how pre-motor cortical regions generate actions is used to introduce apraxia, a disorder of action.

The similiarity of facial expressions in response to emotion-inducing films in reared-apart twins

2007 ◽  
Vol 38 (10) ◽  
pp. 1475-1483 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. S. Kendler ◽  
L. J. Halberstadt ◽  
F. Butera ◽  
J. Myers ◽  
T. Bouchard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Facial Expressions ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Genetic Factors ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Emotional Expressions ◽  
Emotional Facial Expressions ◽  
Minimal Contact

BackgroundWhile the role of genetic factors in self-report measures of emotion has been frequently studied, we know little about the degree to which genetic factors influence emotional facial expressions.MethodTwenty-eight pairs of monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins from the Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart were shown three emotion-inducing films and their facial responses recorded. These recordings were blindly scored by trained raters. Ranked correlations between twins were calculated controlling for age and sex.ResultsTwin pairs were significantly correlated for facial expressions of general positive emotions, happiness, surprise and anger, but not for general negative emotions, sadness, or disgust or average emotional intensity. MZ pairs (n=18) were more correlated than DZ pairs (n=10) for most but not all emotional expressions.ConclusionsSince these twin pairs had minimal contact with each other prior to testing, these results support significant genetic effects on the facial display of at least some human emotions in response to standardized stimuli. The small sample size resulted in estimated twin correlations with very wide confidence intervals.

Preschool Children's Interpretation of Facial Expressions of Emotion

1984 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Merry Bullock ◽  
James A. Russell
Keyword(s):  
Facial Expressions ◽  
Structural Model ◽  
Focal Point ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Emotional Facial Expressions ◽  
Emotion Words ◽  
Facial Expressions Of Emotion ◽  
Wide Awake

A structural model of emotions was used to reveal patterns in how children interpret the emotional facial expressions of others. Three-, four-, five-year-olds, and adults (n = 38 in each group) were asked to match 15 emotion-descriptive words (happy, excited, surprised, afraid, scared, angry, mad, disgusted, miserable, sad, sleepy, calm, relaxed, wide awake, and, as a check on response bias, insipid) with still photographs of actors showing different facial expressions. Whereas prior research had indicated that preschool-aged children are "inaccurate" in associating labels with faces, our results indicated that that research may have severely underestimated children's knowledge of emotions. In this study children used terms systematically to refer to a specifiable range of expressions, centered around a focal point. Multidimensional scaling of the word/facial expression associations yielded a two-dimensional structure able to account for the interrelationships among emotions, and this structure was the same for all age groups. The nature of this structure, the blurry boundaries between emotion words, and developmental shifts in the referents of emotion words suggested the primacy of two dimensions, pleasure-displeasure and arousal-sleep, in children's interpretation of emotion.

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