Abstract
Micro-expressions are often embedded in a flow of expressions including both neutral and other facial expressions. However, it remains unclear whether the types of facial expressions appearing before and after the micro-expression, i.e., the emotional context, influence micro-expression recognition. To address this question, the present study used a modified METT (Micro-Expression Training Tool) paradigm that required participants to recognize the target micro-expressions presented briefly between two identical emotional faces. The results of Experiments 1 and 2 showed that negative context impaired the recognition of micro-expressions regardless of the duration of the target micro-expression. Stimulus-difference between the context and target micro-expression was accounted for in Experiment 3. Results showed that a context effect on micro-expression recognition persists even when the stimulus similarity between the context and target micro-expressions was controlled. Therefore, our results not only provided evidence for the context effect on micro-expression recognition but also suggested that the context effect might result from both the stimulus and valence differences.
Highlights
Micro-expressions are extremely quick facial expressions [1] that usually last for 1/25 s to 1/5 s [2]
Further analysis revealed that the accuracy rate for anger was significantly lower with negative context than with positive or neutral context, t(89) = 24.76, p, .001, dz = 2.50; t(89) = 27.96, p,.001, dz = 2.84; the accuracy rate for happiness was significantly lower with positive context than with negative or neutral context, t(89) = 23.48, p,.01, dz = 2.37; t(89) = 23.79, p,.01, dz = 2.40; the accuracy rate for neutral was significantly higher with neutral context than with negative or positive context, t(89) = 3.34, p,.01, dz = .35; t(89) = 3.61, p,.01, dz =
The context effect on micro-expression recognition could have resulted from the stimulus differences between the context and target microexpressions
Summary
Micro-expressions are extremely quick facial expressions [1] that usually last for 1/25 s to 1/5 s [2]. Synthesized micro-expressions are employed to investigate the characteristics and other influencing factors in microexpression recognition research [11,12]. Previous studies have employed neutral expressions before and after the emotional expression, research has indicated that micro-expressions may be embedded in neutral expressions and in other facial expressions, such as happiness and sadness [13]. To date, it remains unknown whether the recognition of microexpressions is influenced by the types of facial expressions appearing before and after the micro-expression, i.e., the emotional context
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