Emotional Expression Research Articles

Differences in Emotion Expression, Suppression, and Cardiovascular Consequences Between Black and White Americans in the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) Study.

Recent theoretical work suggests the expression of emotions may differ among Black and White Americans, such that Black Americans engage more frequently in expressive suppression to regulate emotions and avoid conflict. Prior work has linked expressive suppression usage with increases in cardiovascular disease risk, suggesting that racialized differences in expressive suppression usage may be one mechanism by which racism "gets under the skin" and creates heath disparities. To examine racialized differences in expressive suppression and blood pressure (a measure of cardiovascular disease risk), we used self-report and facial electromyography (fEMG) data from two cohorts of Black and White Americans from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) longitudinal study (MIDUS 2, n = 271, 34.7% Black, collected from 2004-2009; MIDUS Refresher 1, n = 114, 31.6% Black, collected from 2012-2016; total N = 385, 33.9% Black). Black Americans reported engaging in expressive suppression more frequently than White Americans (t(260.95) = 2.18, p = .002) and showed less corrugator fEMG activity during negative images(t(969) = 2.38, pFDR = .026). Less corrugator activity during negative images was associated with higher systolic blood pressure only for Black Americans (b = -4.63, t(375) = 2.67, p = .008). Overall, results are consistent with theoretical accounts that Black Americans engage more frequently in expressive suppression, which in turn is related to higher cardiovascular risk. Additional research is needed to further test this claim, particularly in real-world contexts and self-reports of in-the-moment usage of expressive suppression.

Minimal exposure durations reveal visual processing priorities for different stimulus attributes

Human vision can detect a single photon, but the minimal exposure required to extract meaning from stimulation remains unknown. This requirement cannot be characterised by stimulus energy, because the system is differentially sensitive to attributes defined by configuration rather than physical amplitude. Determining minimal exposure durations required for processing various stimulus attributes can thus reveal the system’s priorities. Using a tachistoscope enabling arbitrarily brief displays, we establish minimal durations for processing human faces, a stimulus category whose perception is associated with several well-characterised behavioural and neural markers. Neural and psychophysical measures show a sequence of distinct minimal exposures for stimulation detection, object-level detection, face-specific processing, and emotion-specific processing. Resolving ongoing debates, face orientation affects minimal exposure but emotional expression does not. Awareness emerges with detection, showing no evidence of subliminal perception. These findings inform theories of visual processing and awareness, elucidating the information to which the visual system is attuned.

An Emotional Dialogue System Using Conditional Generative Adversarial Networks with a Sequence-to-Sequence Transformer Encoder

Understanding the expression of emotion and generating appropriate responses are key steps toward constructing emotional, conversational agents. In this paper, we propose a framework for single-turn emotional conversation generation, and there are three main components in our model, namely, a sequence-to-sequence model with stacked encoders, a conditional variational autoencoder, and conditional generative adversarial networks. For the sequence-to-sequence model with stacked encoders, we designed a two-layer encoder by combining Transformer with gated recurrent units-based neural networks. Because of the flexibility of the sequence-to-sequence model, we adopted a conditional variational autoencoder in our framework, which uses latent variables to learn a distribution over potential responses and generates diverse responses. Furthermore, we regard a conditional variational autoencoder-based, sequence-to-sequence model as the generative model, and the training of the generative model is assisted by both a content discriminator and an emotion classifier, which assists our model in promoting content information and emotion expression. We use automated evaluation and human evaluation to evaluate our model and baselines on the NTCIR short text conversation task (STC-3) Chinese emotional conversation generation (CECG) Subtask dataset [44], and the experimental results demonstrate that our proposed framework can generate semantically reasonable and emotionally appropriate responses.

How the arts heal: a review of the neural mechanisms behind the therapeutic effects of creative arts on mental and physical health.

The creative arts have long been known for their therapeutic potential. These modalities, which include dance, painting, and music, among others, appear to be effective in enhancing emotional expression and alleviating adverse physiological and psychological effects. Engagement in creative arts can be pursued as a personal hobby, in a classroom setting, or through a formal therapeutic intervention with a qualified therapist. Engagement can be active (i.e., creating) or passive (i.e., viewing, listening). Regardless of the modality and manner of engagement, the mechanisms explaining the therapeutic efficacy of creative arts remain poorly understood. This study aims to systematically review research investigating the neurological mechanisms activated during active or passive engagement in creative arts, with a specific emphasis on the roles of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the amygdala in emotional regulation (ER) and creative behaviors. The review seeks to provide preliminary evidence for the possible existence of common neural mechanisms underlying both phenomena, which could inform the development of targeted therapeutic interventions leveraging creative arts for ER. A systematic review was conducted following the Cochrane Collaboration guideline and PRISMA standards to identify studies examining the neurological mechanisms underlying creative activities. A total of six out of 85 records meet the inclusion criteria, with all being basic research studies. Preliminary findings suggest that active and passive engagement with creative arts consistently activate neural circuits implicated in adaptive emotional regulation, including the mPFC and amygdala. These activations mirror the neural pathways engaged in effective ER strategies, suggesting the possible existence of shared mechanisms between creative expression and emotional processing. The evidence underscores the potential of creative arts as a complementary therapeutic strategy alongside conventional care and other evidence-based mind-body modalities. By elucidating the shared neural mechanisms between creative arts engagement and ER, this review contributes to the theoretical and practical understanding of the role of creative arts in mental health. Future research is recommended to further explore these neural correlations and their implications for therapeutic practice.

Prompting Responses through Linguistic Cues: A Comparison of User and Chatbot Support for Consumers' Questions

ABSTRACTWhen interacting with chatbots, questioning is the starting point of the conversations. A well‐phrased question can elicit desired responses and enhance information‐seeking efficiency. Specifically, consumers can use various linguistic cues (e.g., emotional expressiveness) to phrase questions and shape responses. However, research on how to effectively phrase questions for chatbots was limited. This study focuses on consumers' questions for chatbots, examining how various linguistic cues (e.g., emotional expressiveness) influence responses. Further, it compares responses generated by community users and chatbots. Preliminary results showed that askers' self‐disclosure attracted emotional support from chatbots. Chatbots demonstrated higher expertise in responses to high‐specificity questions and produced more analytical and unified responses. In contrast, user‐generated responses were perceived with higher authenticity. This research underscores the role of question cues prompting chatbot‐generated responses and illustrates the strengths and limits of chatbot‐generated responses. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed in the final section.

Automobile exterior emotional design method based on deep learning and multiple views imagery integrating calculation

In the context of the increasingly dynamic experience economy, users’ emotional experience with automobile has become a leading factor in consumption, making automobile exterior crucial carriers of emotional needs and design expression. However, users’ emotion expression is from three-dimensional automobile entities, with a single perspective potentially causing deviations. Thus, this paper presents a novel automobile exterior emotion design method based on deep learning and multiple views imagery integrating calculation. This approach enables a seamless transition from users’ emotional needs to automobile exterior design. First, we explore users’ emotional evaluation of automobile exterior using the semantic differential method. The improved model of ResNet101-Attention mechanism was used to predict users’ emotion. Additionally, based on above emotional evaluation values, this study proposed a calculation method of multiple views automobile imagery integrating using the Analytic Hierarchy Process and Entropy Weight, calculate the automobile imagery weights of different views, and obtain the final automobile exterior emotional imagery. Finally, the Captum toolkit and the LoRA fine-tuning training technique are used to construct an automobile exterior design optimization generation model, producing a design that meets users’ emotion needs. By comparing the results obtained using both manual and automatic evaluations, and comparing to classical deep learning models. we verify the model’s validity and the advantages of the proposed method. This intelligent method assists designers in quickly identifying users’ responses for automobile design and provides automobile design that meet their emotional needs

The heterogeneity of intimate partner violence and its associations with distressed couples' emotional communication.

To understand the ways in which heterogeneous aspects of intimate partner violence (IPV) differentially influence partners' emotional expression during the conflict, the present study examined the unique and interactive effects among (a) types of IPV (psychological and/or physical), (b) directionality of IPV (unilateral or bilateral), and (c) couples' conversation topic (initiated by men or women) on the trajectories of emotional arousal in distressed, different-gender couples (N = 106). Vocally encoded emotional arousal (f₀) was measured during couples' recorded conversations. Findings from growth-curve analyses demonstrated that the level of IPV, directionality of IPV, and conversation topic were associated with different patterns of emotional arousal. First, during the discussion of the woman's topic, escalation was observed among recipients of violence in relationships with high levels of unilateral IPV, while their partners-that is, perpetrators of IPV-demonstrated stable, flat trajectories. Second, during men's conversations, stable levels of arousal were predominantly observed among both partners in relationships with men's unilateral IPV and with bilateral psychological and physical IPV. Finally, for partners who engaged in low levels of IPV, men and women both showed escalating arousal across women's conversations; however, when discussing the man's topic, they demonstrated different patterns, with men escalating linearly and women maintaining stable levels of arousal. These findings converge to suggest a picture in which distressed partners who either engage in or experience IPV use "all-or-nothing" approaches to emotional expression during conflict-not only escalating but also containing or controlling their emotional arousal across various contexts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The face pareidolia illusion drives a happy face advantage that is dependent on perceived gender.

The happy face advantage, the faster recognition of happy than of negative, angry or fearful, emotional expressions, has been reliably found and is modulated by social category cues, such as perceived gender, that is, is larger on female than on male faces. In this study, we tested whether this pattern of results is unique to human faces by investigating whether ambient examples of face pareidolia can also evoke a happy face advantage that is dependent on perceived gender. "Face pareidolia" describes the illusion of facial structure on inanimate objects, such as a tree trunk or a piece of burnt toast. While it has been shown that these illusory faces have expressions that can be recognized by participants, it is unknown whether they drive the same behavioral biases as real facial expressions. Thus, we measured the speed and accuracy with which the expressions of illusory faces that are perceived as female or male are recognized as happy or angry. We found a robust happy face advantage for illusory faces that were rated as more feminine in appearance. Concomitantly, we also found a robust angry face advantage for illusory faces that were rated as more masculine in appearance. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that illusory faces confer the same behavioral advantages as human faces. They also suggest that both perceived emotion and perceived gender are powerful socioevaluative dimensions that are extracted from visual stimuli that merely resemble human faces. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

PEDAGOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND FACTORS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF MUSICAL AND AESTHETIC CULTURE AMONG STUDENTS

This article explores the pedagogical and psychological characteristics and factors that contribute to the development of musical and aesthetic culture among students. Recognizing the significance of musical engagement in educational settings, the study begins by defining musical and aesthetic culture and outlines its importance in fostering creativity, emotional expression, and cultural awareness. The interplay between pedagogical approaches and psychological development is highlighted through case studies that showcase successful educational practices. Moreover, the article identifies challenges and barriers faced in promoting musical and aesthetic culture, offering strategies for educators to overcome these obstacles. Ultimately, this study underscores the need for an integrated approach that combines pedagogical and psychological insights to enrich students' musical and aesthetic experiences, calling for further research and practical applications within educational frameworks. By fostering a supportive and enriching environment, educators can significantly enhance the cultural and artistic development of their students, preparing them for a more expressive and interconnected world.

The Juncture Of Musical Theatre And Theatrical Music: A Literature Review

This paper is a position paper that highlights the intersection of musical theatre and theatrical music, two art forms within the Ghanaian context that blend music and drama but with distinct orientations. The essence is to clarify blurred boundaries and lack of clear distinction between these two art forms, which often leads students of music to confusion or misinterpretation in composition and performance discourse, performance practices, and artistic production. The approach used is a review of some topical issues related to the topic to unravel the distinction to make contribution to knowledge in music composition and performance as well as other cognate disciplines such as ethnomusicology and theatre studies. It is seen that while musical theatre integrates music as a vehicle for storytelling within a staged performance, theatrical music emphasises music's dramatic qualities without necessarily conforming to theatrical conventions. The two concepts have shared elements such as narrative, emotional expression, and performance as well as some differences in structure. Understanding the two Chiasmus is key to composing works that identify the key juncture where these art forms converge, offering insights into their mutual influence in contemporary performance.

Unlocking the Temporomandibular Joint: CT, MRI, and Arthroscopic Correlation.

The temporomandibular joint constitutes a synovial connection between the mandible and the skull base and plays a pivotal role in functions such as jaw movement, chewing, and verbal and emotional expression. Temporomandibular joint dysfunction is observed in about 30% of the population, with a higher prevalence in young to middle-aged women. Interestingly, a majority of individuals affected do not report pain, and only 5%-10% of symptomatic cases necessitate therapeutic intervention. The most common temporomandibular joint disorder manifests as pain in the masticatory muscles and is referred to as myofascial syndrome. However, articular disorders are also very common, usually due to disk displacement and degenerative or inflammatory arthropathies. Less frequently, the temporomandibular joint may be affected by a range of congenital and acquired conditions such as trauma and neoplasms. Imaging becomes necessary for the small percentage of patients who do not respond to conservative management or when there is uncertainty in the diagnosis. A comprehensive understanding of the normal imaging appearance of the temporomandibular joint as well as the wide range of potential pathologic conditions is essential for conducting an accurate radiologic assessment. Moreover, collaboration among multidisciplinary teams and the correlation of imaging findings with arthroscopic observations are crucial to advancing the diagnosis and treatment of temporomandibular joint dysfunction. ©RSNA, 2024 Supplemental material is available for this article.

Comparative Analysis of Emotional and Psychological Degree Expression Between Chinese and Thai Taking “得”and “/tɕon/” Sentences as an Example

Comparative Analysis of Emotional and Psychological Degree Expression Between Chinese and Thai Taking “得”and “/tɕon/” Sentences as an Example

Emotional scenes as context in emotional expression recognition: The role of emotion or valence match.

Emotion recognition is influenced by contextual information such as social category cues or background scenes. However, past studies yielded mixed findings regarding whether broad valence or specific emotion matches drive context effects and how multiple sources of contextual information may influence emotion recognition. To address these questions, participants were asked to categorize expressions on male and female faces posing happiness and anger and happiness and fear on pleasant and fearful backgrounds (Experiment 1, conducted in 2019), fearful and disgusted expressions on fear and disgust eliciting backgrounds (Experiment 2, conducted in 2022), and fearful and sad expressions on fear and sadness eliciting backgrounds (Experiment 3, conducted in 2022). In Experiment 1 (where stimuli varied in valence), a broad valence match effect was observed. Faster recognition of happiness than fear and anger was more pronounced in pleasant compared to fearful scenes. In Experiments 2 and 3 (where stimuli were negative in valence), specific emotion match effects were observed. Faster recognition occurred when expression and background were emotionally congruent. In Experiments 1 and 3, poser sex independently moderated emotional expression recognition speed. These results suggest that the effect of emotional scenes on facial emotion recognition is mediated by a match in valence when broad valence is task-relevant. Specific emotion matches drive context effects when participants categorize expressions of a single valence. Looking at the influence of background contexts and poser sex together suggests that these two sources of contextual information have an independent rather than an interactive influence on emotional expression recognition speed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Exploring gender as a sociocultural construct among cancer caregivers enrolling in a dyadic resiliency trial.

186 Background: Caregiving relations are essential for navigating cancer care among cancer curvivors (i.e., completed curative-intent treatment) and metavivors (i.e., living with incurable illness). Caregiving is associated with poor health outcomes, but little work explicates gender differences in specific sociocultural constructs that drive caregivers’ health outcomes. This study explores gender differences in caregiving relationship type (e.g., partner, friend) and psychosocial variables theorized to be impacted by caregiving stress, such as preventative health behaviors, self-compassion, depression/anxiety, informational/emotional social support and perceived caregiving relationship quality among caregivers of cancer curvivors and metavivors. Methods: 47 survivor-caregiver dyads (64% metavivors) enrolled in a pilot clinical trial of simultaneous remotely-delivered dyadic stress management groups at a tertiary care academic center. Eligible caregivers were those supporting survivors who had completed initial treatment for cancer with curative intent 3 months- 5 years ago OR were diagnosed with metastatic illness at least 3 months before enrollment. Data were collected via brief self-report baseline surveys measuring depression (PHQ-2), anxiety (GAD-2), self-compassion (SCS-12), informational/emotional support (PROMIS short forms-4a), including assessments of sex-specific cancer screening behavior (i.e., recommended breast, cervical, prostate, and colorectal screening) and relationship quality created for this study. Bivariate statistics compared caregivers based on self-reported gender identity (two-tailed p < .05) with Cohen’s D used to characterize strength of between-group differences (0.2 = small, 0.5 = medium, 0.8 = large). Results: Most caregivers ( M age = 56.9) were White (87%) women (64%) caring for men (53%). Women (79% partners, 17% family, 4% friends) and men (64% partners, 36% family) caregivers did not significantly differ in caregiving relationship type ( p = .33). Most caregivers were up-to-date with sex-specific screening recommendations for breast (83%), cervical (80%), and prostate (85%) cancer, though women vs. men were significantly less adherent to colon cancer screening (60% vs. 100%, p = .003). Significant gender differences emerged in (anxiety D = -0.69, p =.03) but not depression (D = -0.47, p = .14 or self-compassion (D = .58, p = .07), such that women experienced great distress. Finally, women reported not significantly greater informational/emotional support (Ds = -0.30 and -0.25, p s > .40) and relationship quality (D = -0.63, p = .05). Conclusions: When comparing the experiences of women and men currently in caregiving roles, gendered traits such as anxious emotional expression, as well as gender norms around self-focused preventative health behaviors may place women at increased risk for poor health outcomes. Clinical trial information: NCT05702723 .

A Text-based Intelligently driven Emotion Recognition Framework

Introduction: Emotion recognition from text has gained considerable interest due to its applications in human-computer interaction, emotion analysis, and psychiatric research. Traditional methods have struggled with emotional ambiguity, cultural nuances, and the dynamic nature of language, which affect the reliability of emotion recognition. This paper presents a novel emotion recognition framework named Artificial Gorilla Troops driven Modified Gaussian Support Vector Machine (AGT-MGSVM).Methods: We gathered a publicly available ISEAR dataset containing various textual emotional expressions and applied natural language processing (NLP) techniques for text pre-processing. The suggested AGT-MGSVM approach combines the resilience of the Gaussian assist vector gadget (GSVM) with the ability of AGT, a bio-stimulated optimization method. AGT improves the MGSVM with the aid of dynamically regulating its parameters based on the evolutionary conduct of gorilla troops, optimizing the version to enhance emotion popularity. Results: We examine the performance of the proposed technique against traditional emotion reputation methods using standard metrics inclusive of recall (89.2%), precision (89.5%), F1-score (89.4%), and accuracy (89.9%). Conclusion: The counseled AGT-MGSVM method is a promising improvement in intelligence-driven emotion reputation from the text.

A brief package of tele-sexual counseling based on Islamic emotion-focused therapy versus tele-sexual health education on sexual intimacy in pregnant women: A randomized clinical trial

BACKGROUND: Physical and emotional changes in pregnancy may reduce sexual intimacy. Pregnant women need empowerment through short-term cultural-based interventions regarding sexual intimacy for better expression of sexual beliefs and expectations. Since studies are limited regarding Islamic emotion-focused therapy (IEFT), this study was conducted to compare the effect of tele-sexual counseling (IEFT) versus tele-sexual health education on sexual intimacy in pregnant women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A parallel randomized clinical trial was conducted among 52 pregnant women with gestational age at least 20–24 weeks through convince sampling referred to Amir Social Welfare Clinic, who were randomly assigned into two groups (each group = 26 women). The intervention group received online six weekly IEFT, and the control group participated in online sexual health education. Primary outcome sexual intimacy was measured via Botlani’s sexual intimacy questionnaire at baseline, end of intervention at week 6, and follow-up at week 10. Secondary outcome satisfaction was assessed via a satisfaction scale at weeks 6 and 10 of the intervention. Data were analyzed using Mann–Whitney, the T-test, the analysis of variance, and repeated measures in SPSS. RESULTS: Sexual intimacy was not significantly different between the two groups at baseline. Sexual intimacy was significantly high in the intervention group in weeks 6 (intervention group: 83.12 ± 5.22 versus control group: 70.62 ± 4.42) (P < 0.001) and 10 (intervention group: 84.08 ± 5.03 versus control group: 70.54 ± 4.37) (P < 0.001). Satisfaction in week 6 was 52.38 ± 10.48 in the intervention group versus 42.69 ± 10.98 in the control group (P = 0.001), and at week 10, it was 55.58 ± 10.71 in the intervention group versus 45.12 ± 11.56 in the control group (P = 0.001), with more satisfaction in the intervention group. CONCLUSION: Both short-term tele-interventions, IEFT or sexual health, improved sexual intimacy and satisfaction, but Islamic EFT was significantly superior. It seems women need cultural-religious-based interventions such as IEFT to facilitate positive sexual relationship changes, assertiveness in sexual emotion expression, and compassion through the sharing of skills with the husband that can continue individually even after intervention. The study findings can be applied to midwifery education, prenatal care booklets, couple and sex counselors and therapists, and other health care providers.

Deep Learning-based Emotion Recognition Algorithms in Music Performance

In the realm of artificial intelligence and musicology, emotion recognition in music performance has emerged as a pivotal area of research. This paper introduces EmoTrackNet, an integrated deep learning framework that combines sparse attention networks, enhanced one-dimensional residual Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) with an improved Inception module, and Gate Recurrent Units (GRUs). The synergy of these technologies aims to decode complex emotional cues embedded in music. Our methodology revolves around leveraging the sparse attention network to efficiently process temporal sequences, thereby capturing the intricate dynamics of musical pieces. The incorporation of the 1D residual CNN with an upgraded Inception module facilitates the extraction of nuanced features from audio signals, encompassing a broad spectrum of musical tones and textures. The GRU component further refines the model’s capability to retain and process sequential information over longer timeframes, essential for understanding evolving emotional expressions in music. We evaluated EmoTrackNet on the Soundtrack dataset a comprehensive collection of music pieces annotated with emotional labels. The results demonstrated remarkable improvements in the accuracy of emotion recognition, outperforming existing models. This enhanced performance can be attributed to the integrated approach, which efficiently combines the strengths of each component, leading to a more robust and sensitive emotion detection system. EmoTrackNet’s novel architecture and promising results pave the way for new avenues in musicology, particularly in understanding and interpreting the emotional depth of musical performances. This framework not only contributes significantly to the field of music emotion recognition but also has potential applications in music therapy, entertainment, and interactive media where emotional engagement is key.

중년 남성의 성역할 스트레스와 주관적 안녕감의 관계에서 생성감으로 조절된 정서표현양가성의 매개효과

This study aims to examine the mediating effect of ambivalence over emotional expressiveness on the relationship between gender role stress and subjective well-being among middle-aged men, and to explore whether this mediating effect is moderated by generativity. An online self-report survey was conducted with 480 married middle-aged men aged 40-59 years. Data collected were analyzed using SPSS PROCESS macro 4.2. The results revealed several key findings:. First, ambivalence over emotional expressiveness mediated the relationship between gender role stress and subjective well-being. Second, the impact of ambivalence over emotional expressiveness on subjective well-being varied depending on generativity levels. Third, the mediating effect of ambivalence over emotional expressiveness was contingent upon generativity levels. Specifically, higher levels of generativity among middle-aged men attenuated the maladaptive mediating effect of ambivalence over emotional expressiveness, suggesting a mitigation of the decline in subjective well-being due to gender role stress. The significance of this study lies in providing evidence for developing activities and programs aimed at enhancing generativity as a protective factor for middle-aged men.

Emotional Dissonance and Coping Strategies According to the Emotional Processing Type of Call Center Counselors

Background: This study explored the emotional processing types of call center counselors and examined the differences in emotional dissonance and related adaptation indicates of coping strategies, emotional exhaustion and work performance orientation according to the types.Methods: A total of 271 call center agents (204 females, 67 males; mean age 36.5) participated in the study. Latent class analysis of emotional awareness, emotional expression, ambivalence over emotional expression were conducted. Analysis of variance(ANOVA) was used to examine differences in adaptation indicators according to emotion processing type.Results: Emotional processing types were categorized into Clear(CG), Passive(PG) Repressive(RG) groups. The CG showed low emotional dissonance, good adaptation indicates and functional coping strategies whereas results for the RG type revealed the opposite.Conclusions: By distinguishing between emotional processing types, this study found that emotional processing type is more closely correlated with burnout and work performance orientation than emotional dissonance itself.

"Hot" affect-related aspects in emotional information processing: The role of facial muscle responses in the direct and indirect processing of emotion categories.

The present study investigated the involvement of facial muscle responses in the indirect and direct processing of emotional facial expressions. Five discrete emotion categories were used, and we assessed both facial muscle and behavioral responses on a trial-by-trial basis. Experiment 1 tested facial muscle activation of clearly visible stimuli in an emotion categorization task. We observed emotion-specific facial muscle responses and corresponding behavioral categorization effects, providing evidence for the specificity of facial muscle activation. By contrast, under masked indirect presentation conditions in which emotional facial expressions were presented as primes in an emotion misattribution procedure, a specific pattern of emotion-congruent and cross-category behavioral misattributions was observed (in line with Rohr et al., 2015, 2018). Multilevel analyses in Study 2 suggest that an emotional reaction feeds into the behavioral decision, as indicated by differential activation of the frontalis lateralis in response to angry faces. Thus, the present study provides evidence that facial muscle responses contribute to behavioral decisions under masked indirect processing conditions. The different pattern of effects in both studies suggests that facial muscle responses index different processes, depending on the processing conditions: sensorimotor simulation in direct processing conditions and emotional reactions in masked indirect processing conditions. We discuss the implications for models that aim to account for facial muscle activity in response to emotional facial expressions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).