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Mapping correspondence between facial mimicry and emotion recognition in healthy subjects

Ponari, Marta, Conson, Massimiliano, D'Amico, Nunzia Pina, Grossi, Dario, Trojano, Luigi (2012) Mapping correspondence between facial mimicry and emotion recognition in healthy subjects. Emotion, 12 (6). pp. 1398-1403. ISSN 1528-3542. (doi:10.1037/a0028588) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:42930)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0028588

Abstract

We aimed at verifying the hypothesis that facial mimicry is causally and selectively involved in emotion recognition. For this purpose, in Experiment 1, we explored the effect of tonic contraction of muscles in upper or lower half of participants' face on their ability to recognize emotional facial expressions. We found that the "lower" manipulation specifically impaired recognition of happiness and disgust, the "upper" manipulation impaired recognition of anger, while both manipulations affected recognition of fear; recognition of surprise and sadness were not affected by either blocking manipulations. In Experiment 2, we verified whether emotion recognition is hampered by stimuli in which an upper or lower half-face showing an emotional expression is combined with a neutral half-face. We found that the neutral lower half-face interfered with recognition of happiness and disgust, whereas the neutral upper half impaired recognition of anger; recognition of fear and sadness was impaired by both manipulations, whereas recognition of surprise was not affected by either manipulation. Taken together, the present findings support simulation models of emotion recognition and provide insight into the role of mimicry in comprehension of others' emotional facial expressions.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1037/a0028588
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Psychology
Depositing User: Marta Ponari
Date Deposited: 15 Sep 2014 12:22 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 10:17 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/42930 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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