Generalizing Duchenne to Sad Expressions with Binocular Rivalry and Perception Ratings

Authors

Nour Malek, Université McGill
Daniel Messinger, University of Miami
Andy Yuan Lee Gao, Université McGill
Eva Krumhuber, University College London
Whitney Mattson, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Ridha Joober, Le Centre de Recherche Douglas
Karim Tabbane, Le Centre de Recherche Douglas
Julio C. Martinez-Trujillo, Robarts Research InstituteFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-1-2019

Journal

Emotion

Volume

19

Issue

2

First Page

234

Last Page

241

URL with Digital Object Identifier

10.1037/emo0000410

Abstract

© 2018 American Psychological Association. Discrete emotion theories emphasize the modularity of facial expressions, while functionalist theories suggest that a single facial action may have a common meaning across expressions. Smiles involving the Duchenne marker, eye constriction causing crow's feet, are perceived as intensely positive and sincere. To test whether the Duchenne marker is a general index of intensity and sincerity, we contrasted positive and negative expressions with and without the Duchenne marker in a binocular rivalry paradigm. Both smiles and sad expressions involving the Duchenne marker were perceived longer than non-Duchenne expressions, and participants rated all Duchenne expressions as more affectively intense and more sincere than their non-Duchenne counterparts. Correlations between perceptual dominance and ratings suggested that the Duchenne marker increased the dominance of smiles and sad expressions by increasing their perceived affective intensity. The results provide evidence in favor of Darwin's hypothesis that specific facial actions have a general function (conveying affect intensification and sincerity) across expressions.

Notes

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