Facial Inferences: Facial Expressions or Emotional Labels?
Document Type
Oral Presentation
Campus where you would like to present
Ellensburg
Event Website
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source
Start Date
16-5-2021
End Date
22-5-2021
Keywords
Emotional Labels, Facial Expressions, Personality Inferences
Abstract
Happy, surprised, fearful, disgusted, sad, or angry are classic emotional labels inferred from facial expressions (Ekman & Friesen, 1971). This study examines the impact different emotional labels have on social trait and personality inferences while viewing the same facial expression. In an online survey, participants were randomly shown pictures of scowling younger and older male and females chosen from a facial database (Ebner, Riediger & Lindenberger, 2010) while completing the Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM) Temperament Assessment scale, and five social perception questions. Specific emotional labels were deemed as either ‘correct’ or ‘incorrect’ according to Ekman and Friesen (for example, labeling a smiling face as happy). Comparing the data collected from the participants who labeled a scowling facial expression as angry to those who labeled the expression as disgusted, fearful or sad indicated that those who labeled the expressions as angry found the face as significantly more negative on six of the nine dependent variables (pleasing to look at, honesty, threat, negative, dominant, and ‘bad’). Those who saw the faces as disgusted, fearful or sad had significantly less negative inferences. These findings suggest that negativity per se is determined by facial expressions, and the assigned emotional labels can reduce or intensify that negativity.
Recommended Citation
Anderson, Amber, "Facial Inferences: Facial Expressions or Emotional Labels?" (2021). Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 81.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source/2021/COTS/81
Department/Program
Psychology
Additional Mentoring Department
https://cwu.studentopportunitycenter.com/facial-inferences-facial-expressions-or-emotional-labels/
Facial Inferences: Facial Expressions or Emotional Labels?
Ellensburg
Happy, surprised, fearful, disgusted, sad, or angry are classic emotional labels inferred from facial expressions (Ekman & Friesen, 1971). This study examines the impact different emotional labels have on social trait and personality inferences while viewing the same facial expression. In an online survey, participants were randomly shown pictures of scowling younger and older male and females chosen from a facial database (Ebner, Riediger & Lindenberger, 2010) while completing the Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM) Temperament Assessment scale, and five social perception questions. Specific emotional labels were deemed as either ‘correct’ or ‘incorrect’ according to Ekman and Friesen (for example, labeling a smiling face as happy). Comparing the data collected from the participants who labeled a scowling facial expression as angry to those who labeled the expression as disgusted, fearful or sad indicated that those who labeled the expressions as angry found the face as significantly more negative on six of the nine dependent variables (pleasing to look at, honesty, threat, negative, dominant, and ‘bad’). Those who saw the faces as disgusted, fearful or sad had significantly less negative inferences. These findings suggest that negativity per se is determined by facial expressions, and the assigned emotional labels can reduce or intensify that negativity.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source/2021/COTS/81
Faculty Mentor(s)
Anthony Stahelski and Mary Radeke