Facial Expressions Flashcards
What is holistic processing of faces
It is a perceptual strategy that integrates all the features of the face together into one, a visual expertise that humans have for faces - but only upright
Study supporting that upright faces and upside down faces are processed differently
The composite effect : Young et al 1982
= changing lower half of the face with the same eyes, makes two faces look entirely different whilst this effect does not happen when faces are inverted - reveals holistic processing
3 brain structures involved in face expression recognition and cite study
Occipital cortex encodes basic face info
Superior temporal sulcus analyses expression
Fusiform area analyses identity
By Haxby et al 2000
Name 2 brain regions specialised in certain emotional perceptions
- Amygdala highly involved in FEAR/experience of fear
- Anterior Insula for Disgust
Describe patient SM and cite study
Ralph Adolph 2006 = patient SM had bilateral damage of amygdala = she was severely impaired in recognising fear = eye tracking showed she did not look at eye regions , when she did she improved = amygdala may guide attention towards the eyes to detect fear?
Tsantani et al 2021 describe findings about face masks effect
Intended emotions were perceived less intensely except angry ; Fear more likely perceived as surprise ; Disgust more likely perceived as anger
Two findings supporting the universality theory of facial expressions
Darwin 1872 - all humans have same facial expressions due to adaptation
Izzard 1995 - newborns produce happy or sad expressions
how does culture influences recognition and production of expressions?
production = cultural difference sin when and how these can be produced (Ekman 1971) ; Cultural factors can also influence meaning given to others facial expressions (Jack et al 2009).
Affect program theory who and describe
Ekman 1997 - emotions activate motor program of the six basic facial expressions ; sadness-> downward mouth
Critic of affect program theory
Does not take into consideration autism/alexythimia - autistic ppl are bad at inferring others emotions (baron Cohen) and at detecting negative emotions (ashen et al 2006)
