Change of social value orientation affected by the observed mimical expression of the interaction partner

Abstract

The issues addressed in this paper relate to a possible change in the observer’s social value orientation under the influence of a specific emotional expression being perceived on another individual’s face. The paper fits into the trend in the research into the link between social value orientations and the perception of a facial emotional expression. An „omnibus” type representative survey was carried out according to the experimental scheme, entirely via the Internet (N = 972). The following tools were used: for the measurement of social value orientations, a modified version of the Ring Measure of Social Values; for the experimental manipulation, photographs of facial expressions (happiness, anger, neutrality). In the light of the data obtained, one may, for the very first time, speak of social value orientations as of a dimension being susceptible to a change under the influence of a facial expression. A diversity of the indicators of the orientation on the others was shown, as well as of the distribution of the groups of the dominant social value orientations before and after the experimental manipulation, depending on the type of a basic facial emotional expression being presented (happiness vs anger). Directional predictions were confirmed with regard to the negative manipulation (expression of anger) which was followed by a reduction in the orientation on the others and a reduction in the total number of altruists, while the positive manipulation (expression of happiness) resulted in a general increase being observed in the number of altruists. It remains in line with the trend in predictions that observation of a positive facial expression triggers prosocial tendencies, while observation of a negative facial expression undermines prosocial tendencies. Keywords: social value orientations; prosociality; orientation on the self/orientation on the others; variability of social value orientations; Ring Measure of Social Values; facial emotional expressions