Witkower Z, Hill AK, Koster J, Tracy JL. Beyond Face Value: Evidence for the Universality of Bodily Expressions of Emotion.
AFFECTIVE SCIENCE 2021;
2:221-229. [PMID:
36059900 PMCID:
PMC9382937 DOI:
10.1007/s42761-021-00052-y]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Research on emotion communication typically focuses on facial expressions, yet scientists dating back to Darwin have noted the importance of the body in conveying emotions. In fact, studies have found that the body is reliably used to express and recognize anger, fear, and sadness, by individuals in several industrialized populations. Here, we provide the first evidence that bodily expressions of these three emotions are reliably recognized by members of an isolated small-scale traditional society: the Mayangna of Nicaragua. Specifically, we found that recognition rates for sadness and anger bodily expressions were high, and recognition rates for a fear bodily expression were lower but still significantly greater than chance. Given that the Mayangna are unlikely to have learned these bodily expressions through cross-cultural transmission, their ability to recognize these displays provides strong evidence for the universality of each expression.
Supplementary Information
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42761-021-00052-y.
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