Emotional valence sensing using a wearable facial EMG device

Wataru Sato,Masafumi Furuta,Sakiko Yoshikawa,Koichi Murata,Yasuyuki Uraoka,Kazuaki Shibata

doi:10.1038/s41598-021-85163-z

Wataru Sato, Masafumi Furuta + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-85163-z

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Abstract

Emotion sensing using physiological signals in real-life situations can be practically valuable. Previous studies have developed wearable devices that record autonomic nervous system activity, which reflects emotional arousal. However, no study determined whether emotional valence can be assessed using wearable devices. To this end, we developed a wearable device to record facial electromyography (EMG) from the corrugator supercilii (CS) and zygomatic major (ZM) muscles. To validate the device, in Experiment 1, we used a traditional wired device and our wearable device, to record participants’ facial EMG while they were viewing emotional films. Participants viewed the films again and continuously rated their recalled subjective valence during the first viewing. The facial EMG signals recorded using both wired and wearable devices showed that CS and ZM activities were, respectively, negatively and positively correlated with continuous valence ratings. In Experiment 2, we used the wearable device to record participants’ facial EMG while they were playing Wii Bowling games and assessed their cued-recall continuous valence ratings. CS and ZM activities were correlated negatively and positively, respectively, with continuous valence ratings. These data suggest the possibility that facial EMG signals recorded by a wearable device can be used to assess subjective emotional valence in future naturalistic studies.

Highlights

Emotion sensing using physiological signals in real-life situations can be practically valuable
A number of previous psychophysiological studies using traditional wired devices have revealed concordance between physiological signals and dimensional subjective emotional experiences. These studies reported that autonomic nervous system activity measures, such as electrodermal activity (EDA), consistently reflected emotional arousal, which is the energetic or quantitative dimension of emotional experience; the studies demonstrated that facial electromyography (EMG) recorded from the corrugator supercilii (CS) and zygomatic major (ZM) muscles reflected emotional valence, which is qualitative measure of emotional e xperience[15,16]
Several other studies confirmed that facial EMG recorded from the CS and ZM muscles corresponded to subjective valence ratings obtained using images18–20, films21,22, sounds[19,23], and w ords[19]

Summary

Introduction

Emotion sensing using physiological signals in real-life situations can be practically valuable. CS and ZM activities were correlated negatively and positively, respectively, with continuous valence ratings These data suggest the possibility that facial EMG signals recorded by a wearable device can be used to assess subjective emotional valence in future naturalistic studies. A number of previous psychophysiological studies using traditional wired devices have revealed concordance between physiological signals and dimensional subjective emotional experiences These studies reported that autonomic nervous system activity measures, such as EDA, consistently reflected emotional arousal, which is the energetic or quantitative dimension of emotional experience; the studies demonstrated that facial electromyography (EMG) recorded from the corrugator supercilii (CS) and zygomatic major (ZM) muscles reflected emotional valence, which is qualitative measure of emotional e xperience[15,16]. A recent study developed a wearable device that can record facial EMG data from the ZM muscle[27], no evidence was reported regarding concordance between subjective valence and facial EMG data recorded from wearable devices

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