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Brooker JS, Webb CE, de Waal FBM, Clay Z. The expression of empathy in human's closest relatives, bonobos and chimpanzees: current and future directions. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:1556-1575. [PMID: 38597291 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Empathy is a complex, multi-dimensional capacity that facilitates the sharing and understanding of others' emotions. As our closest living relatives, bonobos (Pan paniscus) and chimpanzees (P. troglodytes) provide an opportunity to explore the origins of hominin social cognition, including empathy. Despite certain assumptions that bonobos and chimpanzees may differ empathically, these species appear to overlap considerably in certain socio-emotional responses related to empathy. However, few studies have systematically tested for species variation in Pan empathic or socio-emotional tendencies. To address this, we synthesise the growing literature on Pan empathy to inform our understanding of the selection pressures that may underlie the evolution of hominin empathy, and its expression in our last common ancestor. As bonobos and chimpanzees show overlaps in their expression of complex socio-emotional phenomena such as empathy, we propose that group comparisons may be as or more meaningful than species comparisons when it comes to understanding the evolutionary pressures for such behaviour. Furthermore, key differences, such as how humans and Pan communicate, appear to distinguish how we experience empathy compared to our closest living relatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jake S Brooker
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Christine E Webb
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Frans B M de Waal
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, 36 Eagle Row, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Zanna Clay
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
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2
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Holmer E, Rönnberg J, Asutay E, Tirado C, Ekberg M. Facial mimicry interference reduces working memory accuracy for facial emotion expressions. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0306113. [PMID: 38924006 PMCID: PMC11207140 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0306113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Facial mimicry, the tendency to imitate facial expressions of other individuals, has been shown to play a critical role in the processing of emotion expressions. At the same time, there is evidence suggesting that its role might change when the cognitive demands of the situation increase. In such situations, understanding another person is dependent on working memory. However, whether facial mimicry influences working memory representations for facial emotion expressions is not fully understood. In the present study, we experimentally interfered with facial mimicry by using established behavioral procedures, and investigated how this interference influenced working memory recall for facial emotion expressions. Healthy, young adults (N = 36) performed an emotion expression n-back paradigm with two levels of working memory load, low (1-back) and high (2-back), and three levels of mimicry interference: high, low, and no interference. Results showed that, after controlling for block order and individual differences in the perceived valence and arousal of the stimuli, the high level of mimicry interference impaired accuracy when working memory load was low (1-back) but, unexpectedly, not when load was high (2-back). Working memory load had a detrimental effect on performance in all three mimicry conditions. We conclude that facial mimicry might support working memory for emotion expressions when task load is low, but that the supporting effect possibly is reduced when the task becomes more cognitively challenging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emil Holmer
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- Linnaeus Centre HEAD, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Jerker Rönnberg
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- Linnaeus Centre HEAD, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Erkin Asutay
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- JEDI Lab, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Carlos Tirado
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Mattias Ekberg
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
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3
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Kuczyk C, Münch K, Nöhre M, Stephan M, de Zwaan M. Development and testing of a questionnaire on the expectations and experiences with wearing face masks in inpatient and day hospitals. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0304140. [PMID: 38820397 PMCID: PMC11142604 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Covid-19 pandemic made wearing of face masks mandatory in the psychotherapeutic context. Against this background, the present study aimed to compare the expectations of patients undergoing day-hospital or inpatient treatment regarding wearing a mask in psychotherapy before the start of therapy with the final experience after the end of therapy. The study also investigated the extent to which expectations and experiences were influenced by other factors such as socio-demographic characteristics, patients' general attitudes towards wearing a mask, duration of treatment, or mental health diagnoses. METHODS Patients' expectations and experiences were recorded using two versions of a self-developed questionnaire: the pre-version, which was administered before the start of therapy and recorded expectations, and the post-version, which was administered after the end of therapy and recorded the final experiences. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted for the questionnaire's pre- and post-version. T-tests for paired samples were calculated to compare the patients' expectations regarding the extracted factors with the final experiences. Bivariate correlations were calculated to explore the association of other potential factors with expectations and experiences. RESULTS The exploratory factor analysis revealed a three-factor structure: communication barriers, self-confidence, and infection protection. The communication barriers expected by the patients before the start of the therapy turned out to be significantly higher than ultimately experienced after the therapy. Higher age correlated significantly negatively with expectations and experiences, with less self-confidence expected and experienced in therapy with a mask by older patients. There was a significant positive correlation between the expectations and the duration of treatment. Patients' general attitudes correlated significantly with their expectations and experiences. CONCLUSION Based on the results, wearing a mask does not appear to negatively impact the success of psychotherapy from the patient's perspective. However, patient-specific characteristics also appear to play a role in this context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Kuczyk
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Kathrin Münch
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Mariel Nöhre
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Michael Stephan
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Martina de Zwaan
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
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4
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Achour-Benallegue A, Pelletier J, Kaminski G, Kawabata H. Facial icons as indexes of emotions and intentions. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1356237. [PMID: 38807962 PMCID: PMC11132266 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1356237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Various objects and artifacts incorporate representations of faces, encompassing artworks like portraits, as well as ethnographic or industrial artifacts such as masks or humanoid robots. These representations exhibit diverse degrees of human-likeness, serving different functions and objectives. Despite these variations, they share common features, particularly facial attributes that serve as building blocks for facial expressions-an effective means of communicating emotions. To provide a unified conceptualization for this broad spectrum of face representations, we propose the term "facial icons" drawing upon Peirce's semiotic concepts. Additionally, based on these semiotic principles, we posit that facial icons function as indexes of emotions and intentions, and introduce a significant anthropological theory aligning with our proposition. Subsequently, we support our assertions by examining processes related to face and facial expression perception, as well as sensorimotor simulation processes involved in discerning others' mental states, including emotions. Our argumentation integrates cognitive and experimental evidence, reinforcing the pivotal role of facial icons in conveying mental states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amel Achour-Benallegue
- Cognition, Environment and Communication Research Team, Human Augmentation Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Jérôme Pelletier
- Institut Jean Nicod, Département d'études cognitives, ENS, EHESS, CNRS, PSL University, Paris, France
- Department of Philosophy, University of Western Brittany, Brest, France
| | - Gwenaël Kaminski
- Cognition, Langues, Langage, Ergonomie, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
| | - Hideaki Kawabata
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Letters, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
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Fino E, Menegatti M, Avenanti A, Rubini M. Reading of ingroup politicians' smiles triggers smiling in the corner of one's eyes. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0290590. [PMID: 38635525 PMCID: PMC11025833 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0290590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Spontaneous smiles in response to politicians can serve as an implicit barometer for gauging electorate preferences. However, it is unclear whether a subtle Duchenne smile-an authentic expression involving the coactivation of the zygomaticus major (ZM) and orbicularis oculi (OO) muscles-would be elicited while reading about a favored politician smiling, indicating a more positive disposition and political endorsement. From an embodied simulation perspective, we investigated whether written descriptions of a politician's smile would trigger morphologically different smiles in readers depending on shared or opposing political orientation. In a controlled reading task in the laboratory, participants were presented with subject-verb phrases describing left and right-wing politicians smiling or frowning. Concurrently, their facial muscular reactions were measured via electromyography (EMG) recording at three facial muscles: the ZM and OO, coactive during Duchenne smiles, and the corrugator supercilii (CS) involved in frowning. We found that participants responded with a Duchenne smile detected at the ZM and OO facial muscles when exposed to portrayals of smiling politicians of same political orientation and reported more positive emotions towards these latter. In contrast, when reading about outgroup politicians smiling, there was a weaker activation of the ZM muscle and no activation of the OO muscle, suggesting a weak non-Duchenne smile, while emotions reported towards outgroup politicians were significantly more negative. Also, a more enhanced frown response in the CS was found for ingroup compared to outgroup politicians' frown expressions. Present findings suggest that a politician's smile may go a long way to influence electorates through both non-verbal and verbal pathways. They add another layer to our understanding of how language and social information shape embodied effects in a highly nuanced manner. Implications for verbal communication in the political context are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edita Fino
- Department of Psychology “Renzo Canestrari”, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Michela Menegatti
- Department of Psychology “Renzo Canestrari”, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alessio Avenanti
- Department of Psychology “Renzo Canestrari”, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Centro Studi e Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Department of Psychology “Renzo Canestrari”, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Campus di Cesena, Cesena, Italy
- Centro de Investigación en Neuropsicología y Neurociencias Cognitivas, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile
| | - Monica Rubini
- Department of Psychology “Renzo Canestrari”, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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Parisi M, Raffard S, Slangen P, Kastendieck T, Hess U, Mauersberger H, Fauviaux T, Marin L. Putting a label on someone: impact of schizophrenia stigma on emotional mimicry, liking, and interpersonal closeness. Cogn Emot 2024:1-17. [PMID: 38594881 DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2024.2339531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Affiliation is both an antecedent and a consequence of emotional mimicry (i.e. imitating a counterpart's emotional expression). Thus, interacting with a disliked partner can decrease emotional mimicry, which in turn can further decrease liking. This perpetuating circle has not been investigated in the context of mental health stigma yet. The present study tested the influence of the label "schizophrenia" on liking, interpersonal closeness, and emotional mimicry. In an online experiment (n = 201), participants recruited from the general population saw several videos of actors displaying emotional expressions. Actors were described with one of four labels: "schizophrenia", "healthy", "diabetes", and a negative adjective (e.g. "hot-tempered"). Emotional mimicry was measured using OpenFace 2.2. Liking and interpersonal closeness were assessed with questionnaires. Overall, compared to other labels, participants reported less liking and interpersonal closeness to the actor with the schizophrenia label. However, no effect on emotional mimicry was found. The decreased liking of the schizophrenia actors was explained by a lack of knowledge about schizophrenia and the explicit stigma of schizophrenia. Our study contributes to the literature by highlighting the need to reduce the stigma of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Parisi
- EuroMov Digital Health in Motion, Univ Montpellier, IMT Mines Ales, Montpellier, France
| | - Stéphane Raffard
- Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
- University Department of Adult Psychiatry, CHU Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Pierre Slangen
- EuroMov Digital Health in Motion, Univ Montpellier, IMT Mines Ales, Montpellier, France
| | - Till Kastendieck
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Psychology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ursula Hess
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Psychology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Heidi Mauersberger
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Psychology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tifenn Fauviaux
- EuroMov Digital Health in Motion, Univ Montpellier, IMT Mines Ales, Montpellier, France
| | - Ludovic Marin
- EuroMov Digital Health in Motion, Univ Montpellier, IMT Mines Ales, Montpellier, France
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Brooks JA, Kim L, Opara M, Keltner D, Fang X, Monroy M, Corona R, Tzirakis P, Baird A, Metrick J, Taddesse N, Zegeye K, Cowen AS. Deep learning reveals what facial expressions mean to people in different cultures. iScience 2024; 27:109175. [PMID: 38433918 PMCID: PMC10906517 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Cross-cultural studies of the meaning of facial expressions have largely focused on judgments of small sets of stereotypical images by small numbers of people. Here, we used large-scale data collection and machine learning to map what facial expressions convey in six countries. Using a mimicry paradigm, 5,833 participants formed facial expressions found in 4,659 naturalistic images, resulting in 423,193 participant-generated facial expressions. In their own language, participants also rated each expression in terms of 48 emotions and mental states. A deep neural network tasked with predicting the culture-specific meanings people attributed to facial movements while ignoring physical appearance and context discovered 28 distinct dimensions of facial expression, with 21 dimensions showing strong evidence of universality and the remainder showing varying degrees of cultural specificity. These results capture the underlying dimensions of the meanings of facial expressions within and across cultures in unprecedented detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey A. Brooks
- Research Division, Hume AI, New York, NY 10010, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Lauren Kim
- Research Division, Hume AI, New York, NY 10010, USA
| | | | - Dacher Keltner
- Research Division, Hume AI, New York, NY 10010, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Xia Fang
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Maria Monroy
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Rebecca Corona
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | | | - Alice Baird
- Research Division, Hume AI, New York, NY 10010, USA
| | | | | | | | - Alan S. Cowen
- Research Division, Hume AI, New York, NY 10010, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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8
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Lin D, Zhu T, Wang Y. Emotion contagion and physiological synchrony: The more intimate relationships, the more contagion of positive emotions. Physiol Behav 2024; 275:114434. [PMID: 38092069 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
The study aimed to explore how interpersonal closeness (friends vs. strangers) and emotion type (positive vs. negative) influenced emotion contagion and physiological synchrony between interacting partners. Twenty-eight friend dyads (n = 56) and 29 stranger dyads (n = 58) participated in an emotion contagion laboratory task. In each dyad, one participant, the 'sender', was randomly asked to watch a film clip (neutral, positive, or negative), while their partner, the 'observer' passively observed the sender's facial expressions. Participants' electrocardiograms (ECG) and facial electromyography (EMG) signals were recorded using the BIOPAC system. Results revealed that observing the sender's facial expressions led to the observer's spontaneous mimicry and emotional contagion, accompanied by enhanced physiological synchrony between interacting partners. In the positive emotion condition, the observers reported more positive emotions and displayed stronger zygomaticus major activity in friend dyads than in stranger dyads. Greater physiological synchrony (heart rate and heart rate variability) between interacting partners was also observed in friend dyads than in stranger dyads in the positive emotion condition. These results indicate that positive emotion contagion is more likely to occur between close partners than negative emotion contagion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daichun Lin
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Tongtong Zhu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanmei Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Changning Mental Health Center, Shanghai, China.
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9
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Lacerda KCD, Souza FCDO, Araújo CRV, Mota BEF, Muñoz PMG, Berger W, Vilete L, Bearzoti E, Guerra Leal Souza G. High depressive symptomatology reduces emotional reactions to pictures of social interaction. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1266. [PMID: 38219004 PMCID: PMC10787838 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-51813-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Individuals with severe depressive symptoms present diminished facial expressions compared to healthy individuals. This reduced facial expression, which occurs in most depressive patients could impair social relationships. The current study sought to investigate whether pictures with social interaction cues could elicit different modulations of facial expressions and mood states in individuals with depressive symptoms compared to healthy individuals. A total of 85 individuals were divided into depressive and non-depressive groups based on their beck depression inventory scores. Participants viewed pictures containing neutral (objects), affiliative (people interacting socially), and control (people not interacting) scenes. Electromyographic signals were collected during the entire period of visualization of the blocks, and emotional questionnaires were evaluated after each block to assess sociability and altruism (prosocial states). In non-depressed individuals, affiliative pictures increased the activity of the zygomatic muscle compared to both neutral and control pictures and reduced fear of rejection compared to neutral pictures. During the visualization of the affiliative block, zygomatic major muscle activation was higher and fear of rejection was lower in the non-depressive individuals than in the depressive. These effects reflected the low expressions of smiling and sociability to affiliative pictures in depressive individuals. These findings highlight the importance of smiling and prosocial states in social interactions, especially in these individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kíssyla Christine Duarte Lacerda
- Laboratory of Psychophysiology, Department of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, 35400000, Brazil
| | | | - Cassia Regina Vieira Araújo
- Laboratory of Psychophysiology, Department of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, 35400000, Brazil
| | - Bruna Eugênia Ferreira Mota
- Laboratory of Psychophysiology, Department of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, 35400000, Brazil
- School of Nutrition, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, 35400000, Brazil
| | | | - Willian Berger
- Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 22290-140, Brazil
| | - Liliane Vilete
- Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 22290-140, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Bearzoti
- Department of Statistics, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, 35400000, Brazil
| | - Gabriela Guerra Leal Souza
- Laboratory of Psychophysiology, Department of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, 35400000, Brazil.
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10
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Hsu CT, Sato W, Yoshikawa S. An investigation of the modulatory effects of empathic and autistic traits on emotional and facial motor responses during live social interactions. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0290765. [PMID: 38194416 PMCID: PMC10775989 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0290765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
A close relationship between emotional contagion and spontaneous facial mimicry has been theoretically proposed and is supported by empirical data. Facial expressions are essential in terms of both emotional and motor synchrony. Previous studies have demonstrated that trait emotional empathy enhanced spontaneous facial mimicry, but the relationship between autistic traits and spontaneous mimicry remained controversial. Moreover, previous studies presented faces that were static or videotaped, which may lack the "liveliness" of real-life social interactions. We addressed this limitation by using an image relay system to present live performances and pre-recorded videos of smiling or frowning dynamic facial expressions to 94 healthy female participants. We assessed their subjective experiential valence and arousal ratings to infer the amplitude of emotional contagion. We measured the electromyographic activities of the zygomaticus major and corrugator supercilii muscles to estimate spontaneous facial mimicry. Individual differences measures included trait emotional empathy (empathic concern) and the autism-spectrum quotient. We did not find that live performances enhanced the modulatory effect of trait differences on emotional contagion or spontaneous facial mimicry. However, we found that a high trait empathic concern was associated with stronger emotional contagion and corrugator mimicry. We found no two-way interaction between the autism spectrum quotient and emotional condition, suggesting that autistic traits did not modulate emotional contagion or spontaneous facial mimicry. Our findings imply that previous findings regarding the relationship between emotional empathy and emotional contagion/spontaneous facial mimicry using videos and photos could be generalized to real-life interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Ting Hsu
- Psychological Process Research Team, Guardian Robot Project, RIKEN, Soraku-gun, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Wataru Sato
- Psychological Process Research Team, Guardian Robot Project, RIKEN, Soraku-gun, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Sakiko Yoshikawa
- Institute of Philosophy and Human Values, Kyoto University of the Arts, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
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11
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Choi DS, Park J, Loeser M, Seo K. Improving counseling effectiveness with virtual counselors through nonverbal compassion involving eye contact, facial mimicry, and head-nodding. Sci Rep 2024; 14:506. [PMID: 38177239 PMCID: PMC10766597 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-51115-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
An effective way to reduce emotional distress is by sharing negative emotions with others. This is why counseling with a virtual counselor is an emerging methodology, where the sharer can consult freely anytime and anywhere without having to fear being judged. To improve counseling effectiveness, most studies so far have focused on designing verbal compassion for virtual counselors. However, recent studies showed that virtual counselors' nonverbal compassion through eye contact, facial mimicry, and head-nodding also have significant impact on the overall counseling experience. To verify this, we designed the virtual counselor's nonverbal compassion and examined its effects on counseling effectiveness (i.e., reduce the intensity of anger and improve general affect). A total of 40 participants were recruited from the university community. Participants were then randomly assigned to one of two virtual counselor conditions: a neutral virtual counselor condition without nonverbal compassion and a compassionate virtual counselor condition with nonverbal compassion (i.e., eye contact, facial mimicry, and head-nodding). Participants shared their anger-inducing episodes with the virtual counselor for an average of 16.30 min. Note that the virtual counselor was operated by the Wizard-of-Oz method without actually being technically implemented. Results showed that counseling with a compassionate virtual counselor reduced the intensity of anger significantly more than counseling with a neutral virtual counselor (F(1, 37) = 30.822, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.454). In addition, participants who counseled with a compassionate virtual counselor responded that they experienced higher empathy than those who counseled with a neutral virtual counselor (p < 0.001). These findings suggest that nonverbal compassion through eye contact, facial mimicry, and head-nodding of the virtual counselor makes the participants feel more empathy, which contributes to improving the counseling effectiveness by reducing the intensity of anger.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doo Sung Choi
- Department of Applied Artificial Intelligence, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, 232 Gongneung-ro, Gongneung-dong, Nowon-gu, Seoul, 01811, Korea
| | - Jongyoul Park
- Department of Applied Artificial Intelligence, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, 232 Gongneung-ro, Gongneung-dong, Nowon-gu, Seoul, 01811, Korea
| | - Martin Loeser
- Department of Computer Science, Electrical Engineering and Mechatronics, ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Winterthur, Switzerland
| | - Kyoungwon Seo
- Department of Applied Artificial Intelligence, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, 232 Gongneung-ro, Gongneung-dong, Nowon-gu, Seoul, 01811, Korea.
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12
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Vacaru SV, van Schaik JE, Spiess L, Hunnius S. No evidence for modulation of facial mimicry by attachment tendencies in adulthood: an EMG investigation. THE JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2024; 164:12-26. [PMID: 34590534 DOI: 10.1080/00224545.2021.1973946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Mimicking another individual functions as a social glue: it smoothens the interaction and fosters affiliation. Here, we investigated whether the intrinsic motivation to affiliate with others, stemming from attachment relationships, modulates individuals' engagement in facial mimicry (FM). Participants (N = 100; MAge = 24.54 years, SDAge = 3.90 years) observed faces with happy, sad, and neutral expressions, while their facial muscle activity was recorded with electromyography. Attachment was measured with the Attachment Styles Questionnaire, which provides a multidimensional profile for preoccupied and dismissing styles. It was proposed that the preoccupied and dismissing styles are characterized by high and low intrinsic affiliation motivation, respectively, and these were hypothesized to manifest in enhanced and diminished FM. Participants showed happy and sad FM, yet attachment styles did not significantly predict FM. Bayes Factor analyses lend evidence favoring the null hypothesis, suggesting that adult attachment do not contribute to FM.
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13
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Chen T, Helminen TM, Linnunsalo S, Hietanen JK. Autonomic and facial electromyographic responses to watching eyes. Iperception 2024; 15:20416695231226059. [PMID: 38268784 PMCID: PMC10807318 DOI: 10.1177/20416695231226059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
We measured participants' psychophysiological responses and gaze behavior while viewing a stimulus person's direct and averted gaze in three different conditions manipulating the participants' experience of being watched. The results showed that skin conductance responses and heart rate deceleration responses were greater to direct than averted gaze only in the condition in which the participants had the experience of being watched by the other individual. In contrast, gaze direction had no effects on these responses when the participants were manipulated to believe that the other individual could not watch them or when the stimulus person was presented in a pre-recorded video. Importantly, the eye tracking measures showed no differences in participants' looking behavior between these stimulus presentation conditions. The results of facial electromyography responses suggested that direct gaze elicited greater zygomatic and periocular responses than averted gaze did, independent of the presentation condition. It was concluded that the affective arousal and attention-orienting indexing autonomic responses to eye contact are driven by the experience of being watched. In contrast, the facial responses seem to reflect automatized affiliative responses which can be elicited even in conditions in which seeing another's direct gaze does not signal that the self is being watched.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingji Chen
- Department of Psychology, School of Education, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Terhi M Helminen
- Human Information Processing Laboratory, Faculty of Social Sciences/Psychology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Samuli Linnunsalo
- Human Information Processing Laboratory, Faculty of Social Sciences/Psychology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Jari K Hietanen
- Human Information Processing Laboratory, Faculty of Social Sciences/Psychology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
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14
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Kuang B, Peng S, Wu Y, Chen Y, Hu P. The Neural Mechanisms of Group Membership Effect on Emotional Mimicry: A Multimodal Study Combining Electromyography and Electroencephalography. Brain Sci 2023; 14:25. [PMID: 38248240 PMCID: PMC10812954 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14010025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Emotional mimicry plays a vital role in understanding others' emotions and has been found to be modulated by social contexts, especially group membership. However, the neural mechanisms underlying this modulation remain unclear. We explored whether and how group membership modulated emotional mimicry using a multimodal method combining facial electromyography (fEMG) and electroencephalography (EEG). We instructed participants to passively view dynamic emotional faces (happy vs. angry) of others (in-group vs. out-group) and simultaneously recorded their fEMG and EEG responses. Then, we conducted combined analyses of fEMG-EEG by splitting the EEG trials into two mimicry intensity categories (high-intensity mimicry vs. low-intensity mimicry) according to fEMG activity. The fEMG results confirmed the occurrence of emotional mimicry in the present study but failed to find a group membership effect. However, the EEG results showed that participants mimicked in-group happiness and anger more than out-group. Importantly, this in-group preference involved different neural mechanisms in happiness and anger mimicry. In-group preference for happiness mimicry occurred at multiple neural mechanisms such as N1 (at P7, Pz, and P8), P2 (at Pz and P8), N2 (at P8), and P3 (at P7, Pz, and P8); in-group preference for anger mimicry occurred at P1 (at P7) and P2 (at Pz). Our findings provide new neural evidence for the effect of group membership on emotional mimicry by uncovering the temporal dynamics of this effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beibei Kuang
- College of International Relations, National University of Defense Technology, Nanjing 210039, China
- Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China; (Y.W.); (Y.C.)
| | - Shenli Peng
- College of Education, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China;
| | - Yuhang Wu
- Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China; (Y.W.); (Y.C.)
| | - Ying Chen
- Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China; (Y.W.); (Y.C.)
| | - Ping Hu
- Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China; (Y.W.); (Y.C.)
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15
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Hartley AA, Chitre AM, Reed CL. Electrophysiological concomitants of pupillary synchrony. Psychophysiology 2023; 60:e14405. [PMID: 37539654 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Pupillary synchrony or contagion is the automatic unconscious mimicry of pupil dilation in dyadic interactions. This experiment explored electrophysiological event-related potential (ERP) concomitants of pupillary synchrony. Artificial pupils (black dots) were superimposed on either partial faces (eyes, nose, brow) or random textures. Observers were asked to judge dot size (large, medium, or small). There was clear evidence of pupillary synchrony with observer pupil dilation greater to large dots than to small or medium dots. The pupillary synchrony increased in magnitude throughout the trial and was found both with faces and with textures. When the stimuli were partial faces with artificial pupils (dots), there was ERP activity related to target dot size in the period at P250 and P3. A face specific N170 was also found. When the stimuli were random textures with dots, there was ERP activity at P1 and in the interval from 140 to 200 ms post-stimulus onset. The use of ERP with pupillometry revealed results for faces that were consistent with a social explanation of pupillary synchrony whereas results for textures were consistent with a local luminance explanation.
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16
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Wessler J, van der Schalk J, Hansen J, Klackl J, Jonas E, Fons M, Doosje B, Fischer A. Existential threat and responses to emotional displays of ingroup and outgroup members. GROUP PROCESSES & INTERGROUP RELATIONS 2023; 26:1866-1887. [PMID: 38021316 PMCID: PMC10665133 DOI: 10.1177/13684302221128229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
The present research investigates how emotional displays shape reactions to ingroup and outgroup members when people are reminded of death. We hypothesized that under mortality salience, emotions that signal social distance promote worldview defense (i.e., increased ingroup favoritism and outgroup derogation), whereas emotions that signal affiliation promote affiliation need (i.e., reduced ingroup favoritism and outgroup derogation). In three studies, participants viewed emotional displays of ingroup and/or outgroup members after a mortality salience or control manipulation. Results revealed that under mortality salience, anger increased ingroup favoritism and outgroup derogation (Study 1), enhanced perceived overlap with the ingroup (Study 3), and increased positive facial behavior to ingroup displays-measured via the Facial Action Coding System (Studies 1 and 2) and electromyography of the zygomaticus major muscle (Study 3). In contrast, happiness decreased ingroup favoritism and outgroup derogation (Study 2), and increased positive facial behavior towards outgroup members (Study 3). The findings suggest that, in times of threat, emotional displays can determine whether people move away from unfamiliar others or try to form as many friendly relations as possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet Wessler
- German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence, Germany
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17
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Chen Y, Chen W, Zhang L, Wei Y, Hu P. The Reward-Related Shift of Emotional Contagion from the Observer's Perspective Correlates to Their Intimacy with the Expresser. Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 13:934. [PMID: 37998681 PMCID: PMC10669892 DOI: 10.3390/bs13110934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Although previous studies have found a bidirectional relationship between emotional contagion and reward, there is insufficient research to prove the effect of reward on the social function of emotional contagion. To explore this issue, the current study used electroencephalography (EEG) and the interactive way in which the expresser played games to help participants obtain reward outcomes. The results demonstrated a significant correlation between changes in emotional contagion and closeness, indicating that emotional contagion has a social regulatory function. Regarding the impact of reward outcomes, the results showed that compared to the context of a loss, in the context of a win, participants' closeness toward the expresser shifted to a more intimate level, their emotional contagion changed in a more positive direction, and the activity of the late positive component (LPC) of the event-related potentials (ERPs) changed to a greater extent. Significantly, the mediation results demonstrated the effect of reward and indicated that changes in the LPC elicited while experiencing the expressers' emotion predicted the subsequent shifts in closeness through alterations in emotional contagion of the anger emotion in the winning context and the happy emotion in the loss context. This study provides empirical evidence regarding the social function of emotional contagion and proves for the first time that the reward context plays a role in it.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Ping Hu
- Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, No. 59 of Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100872, China; (Y.C.); (W.C.); (L.Z.); (Y.W.)
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18
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Rimé B, Páez D. Why We Gather: A New Look, Empirically Documented, at Émile Durkheim's Theory of Collective Assemblies and Collective Effervescence. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2023; 18:1306-1330. [PMID: 36753611 DOI: 10.1177/17456916221146388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
For Durkheim, individuals' survival and well-being rest on cultural resources and social belonging that must be revived periodically in collective assemblies. Durkheim's concern was to clarify how these assemblies achieve this revitalization. An intensive examination of primitive religions led him to identify successive levels of engagement experienced by participants and to develop explanatory principles relevant to all types of collective gatherings. Durkheim's conception is widely referred to nowadays. However, the question of its empirical status remains open. We extracted from his text his main statements and translated them into research questions. We then examined each question in relation to current theories and findings. In particular, we relied on the plethora of recent cognitive and social-psychology studies that document conditions of reduced self-other differentiation. Abundant data support that each successive moment of collective assemblies contributes to blurring this differentiation. Ample support also exists that because shared emotions are increasingly amplified in collective context, they can fuel high-intensity experiences. Moreover, recent studies of self-transcendent emotions can account for the self-transformative effects described by Durkheim at the climax of collective assemblies. In conclusion, this century-old model is remarkably supported by recent results, mostly collected in experimental settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard Rimé
- Institut de Recherches en Sciences Psychologiques, Université catholique de Louvain
| | - Dario Páez
- Department of Social Psychology, University of the Basque Country
- Faculty of Education and Social Sciences, Universidad Andrés Bello, Chile
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19
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Kastendieck T, Dippel N, Asbrand J, Hess U. Influence of child and adult faces with face masks on emotion perception and facial mimicry. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14848. [PMID: 37684246 PMCID: PMC10491609 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-40007-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Emotional mimicry, the imitation of others' emotion expressions, is related to increased interpersonal closeness and better interaction quality. Yet, little research has focused on the effect of face masks on emotional mimicry and none on (masked) child faces. To address this gap, we conducted an online experiment (N = 235, German sample, adult perceivers). Masks reduced emotion recognition accuracy for all expressions, except in the case of anger in masked child faces, where perceived anger was even increased. Perceived interpersonal closeness was reduced for masked happy and sad faces. For both child and adult expressers, masks reduced facial mimicry of happy expressions, with no mask effects for sadness and anger expression. A stronger mask effect on facial happiness mimicry of child faces was mediated by the degree of emotion recognition accuracy. Smiles shown by masked children were not recognized well, likely due to the absence of wrinkles around the eyes in child faces. Independent of masks, sadness shown by children was mimicked even more strongly than when shown by adults. These results provide evidence for facial mimicry of child expressions by adult perceivers and show that the effects of face masks on emotion communication may vary when children wear them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Till Kastendieck
- Department of Psychology, Social and Organizational Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Nele Dippel
- Clinic for Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy of Childhood and Adolescence, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Julia Asbrand
- Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology of Childhood and Adolescence, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Ursula Hess
- Department of Psychology, Social and Organizational Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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20
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Xu X, Hu P. Exploring the Influence of Context on Emotional Mimicry and Intention: An Affirmation of the Correction Hypothesis. Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 13:677. [PMID: 37622817 PMCID: PMC10451474 DOI: 10.3390/bs13080677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emotional mimicry, a phenomenon frequently observed in our everyday interactions, is the act of replicating another individual's facial expression. The Emotion Mimicry in Context View and the Correction Hypothesis underscore the critical role of context and intention within emotional mimicry. METHODS In two distinct studies, participants were presented with facial expressions of models (happiness and anger) within various contexts (affiliative, distancing, and neutral). Concurrently, we recorded electromyography (EMG) to index emotional mimicry, while participants explicitly rated the models' intentions. RESULTS We observed context swiftly influences emotional mimicry within 500 ms, notably when the intentions of contexts are opposing to the intentions of facial expressions, leading to weakened muscle responses and diminished perceived intention. Furthermore, a notable correlation was discovered in the mimicry of angry faces; the more distancing the context, the stronger the corrugator supercilii (CS) muscle activity after context processing. CONCLUSIONS First, emotional mimicry should not be simply viewed as an output corresponding to the expresser's facial expressions but the dynamic process involving the active participation of the observer. Second, intention serves as a pivotal anchor, effectively integrating facial and contextual information. As such, we provided empirical support for the Correction Hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ping Hu
- Department of psychology, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China;
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21
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Xu Q, Sommer W, Recio G. Control over emotional facial expressions: Evidence from facial EMG and ERPs in a Stroop-like task. Biol Psychol 2023; 181:108611. [PMID: 37302517 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2023.108611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Facial expressions carry important social signals that must be precisely regulated despite potentially conflicting demands on veridicality, communicative intent, and the social situation. In a sample of 19 participants we investigated the challenges of deliberately controlling two facial expressions (smiles and frowns) by the emotional congruency with the expressions of adult and infant counterparts. In a Stroop-like task requiring participants' deliberate expressions of anger or happiness, we investigated the impact of task-irrelevant background pictures of adults and infants showing negative, neutral, or positive facial expressions. Participants' deliberate expressions were measured with electromyogram (EMG) of the M. zygomaticus major and M. corrugator supercilii. The latencies of EMG onsets revealed similar congruency effects for smiles and frowns with significant facilitation and inhibition components relative to the neutral condition. Interestingly, the facilitation effect for frown responses by negative facial expressions was significantly smaller vis a vis infant as compared to adult background faces. This diminished facilitation of frowns by infant's expressions of distress may relate to the activation of caregiver behavior or empathy. We investigated the neural correlates of the observed performance effects by recording event-related-potentials (ERPs). Increased amplitudes in ERP components were observed in incongruent relative to neutral conditions, revealing interference effects on both types of deliberate facial expressions, at different processing stages, namely, structural facial encoding (N170), conflict monitoring (N2), to semantic analysis (N400).
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Xu
- Department of Psychology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China.
| | - Werner Sommer
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Guillermo Recio
- Departament de Psicologia Clínica i Psicobiologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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22
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Zhang L, Chen Y, Wei Y, Leng J, Kong C, Hu P. Kick Cat Effect: Social Context Shapes the Form and Extent of Emotional Contagion. Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 13:531. [PMID: 37503978 PMCID: PMC10376848 DOI: 10.3390/bs13070531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Emotional contagion refers to the transmission and interaction of emotions among people. Researchers have mainly focused on its process and mechanism, often simplifying its social background due to its complexity. Therefore, in this study, we attempt to explore whether the presence and clarity of social context affect emotional contagion and the related neural mechanisms. In Experiment 1, participants were asked to report their subjective experiences after being exposed to the facial expressions of emotional expressers, with or without the corresponding social context being presented. The results revealed that positive or negative expressions from the expressers elicited corresponding emotional experiences in the receivers, regardless of the presence of social context. However, when the social context was absent, the degree of emotional contagion was greater. In Experiment 2, we further investigated the effect of the clarity of social contexts on emotional contagion and its neural mechanisms. The results showed an effect consistent with those in Experiment 1 and highlighted the special role of N1, N2, P3, and LPP components in this process. According to the emotions as social information theory, individuals may rely more on social appraisal when they lack sufficient contextual information. By referencing the expressions of others and maintaining emotional convergence with them, individuals can adapt more appropriately to their current environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Zhang
- Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, No. 59 of Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100872, China
| | - Ying Chen
- Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, No. 59 of Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100872, China
| | - Yanqiu Wei
- Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, No. 59 of Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100872, China
| | - Jie Leng
- Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, No. 59 of Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100872, China
| | - Chao Kong
- Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, No. 59 of Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100872, China
| | - Ping Hu
- Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, No. 59 of Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100872, China
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23
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Folz J, Akdağ R, Nikolić M, van Steenbergen H, Kret ME. Facial mimicry and metacognitive judgments in emotion recognition are distinctly modulated by social anxiety and autistic traits. Sci Rep 2023; 13:9730. [PMID: 37322077 PMCID: PMC10272184 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-35773-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Facial mimicry as well as the accurate assessment of one's performance when judging others' emotional expressions have been suggested to inform successful emotion recognition. Differences in the integration of these two information sources might explain alterations in the perception of others' emotions in individuals with Social Anxiety Disorder and individuals on the autism spectrum. Using a non-clinical sample (N = 57), we examined the role of social anxiety and autistic traits in the link between facial mimicry, or confidence in one's performance, and emotion recognition. While participants were presented with videos of spontaneous emotional facial expressions, we measured their facial muscle activity, asked them to label the expressions and indicate their confidence in accurately labelling the expressions. Our results showed that confidence in emotion recognition was lower with higher social anxiety traits even though actual recognition was not related to social anxiety traits. Higher autistic traits, in contrast, were associated with worse recognition, and a weakened link between facial mimicry and performance. Consequently, high social anxiety traits might not affect emotion recognition itself, but the top-down evaluation of own abilities in emotion recognition contexts. High autistic traits, in contrast, may be related to lower integration of sensorimotor simulations, which promote emotion recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Folz
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Rüya Akdağ
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Milica Nikolić
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Henk van Steenbergen
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Mariska E Kret
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
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24
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Diana F, Juárez-Mora OE, Boekel W, Hortensius R, Kret ME. How video calls affect mimicry and trust during interactions. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20210484. [PMID: 36871586 PMCID: PMC9985972 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Many social species, humans included, mimic emotional expressions, with important consequences for social bonding. Although humans increasingly interact via video calls, little is known about the effect of these online interactions on the mimicry of scratching and yawning, and their linkage with trust. The current study investigated whether mimicry and trust are affected by these new communication media. Using participant-confederate dyads (n = 27), we tested the mimicry of four behaviours across three different conditions: watching a pre-recorded video, online video call, and face-to-face. We measured mimicry of target behaviours frequently observed in emotional situations, yawn and scratch and control behaviours, lip-bite and face-touch. In addition, trust in the confederate was assessed via a trust game. Our study revealed that (i) mimicry and trust did not differ between face-to-face and video calls, but were significantly lower in the pre-recorded condition; and (ii) target behaviours were significantly more mimicked than the control behaviours. This negative relationship can possibly be explained by the negative connotation usually associated with the behaviours included in this study. Overall, this study showed that video calls might provide enough interaction cues for mimicry to occur in our student population and during interactions between strangers. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Face2face: advancing the science of social interaction'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiola Diana
- Comparative Psychology and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Cognitive Psychology, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Oscar E. Juárez-Mora
- Laboratorio de Ecología de La Conducta, Instituto de Fisiología, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Puebla 72530, Mexico
| | - Wouter Boekel
- Comparative Psychology and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Cognitive Psychology, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ruud Hortensius
- Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Mariska E. Kret
- Comparative Psychology and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Cognitive Psychology, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK, Leiden, The Netherlands
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25
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Benuzzi F, Ballotta D, Casadio C, Zanelli V, Porro CA, Nichelli PF, Lui F. "When You're Smiling": How Posed Facial Expressions Affect Visual Recognition of Emotions. Brain Sci 2023; 13:brainsci13040668. [PMID: 37190633 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13040668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Facial imitation occurs automatically during the perception of an emotional facial expression, and preventing it may interfere with the accuracy of emotion recognition. In the present fMRI study, we evaluated the effect of posing a facial expression on the recognition of ambiguous facial expressions. Since facial activity is affected by various factors, such as empathic aptitudes, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) questionnaire was administered and scores were correlated with brain activity. Twenty-six healthy female subjects took part in the experiment. The volunteers were asked to pose a facial expression (happy, disgusted, neutral), then to watch an ambiguous emotional face, finally to indicate whether the emotion perceived was happiness or disgust. As stimuli, blends of happy and disgusted faces were used. Behavioral results showed that posing an emotional face increased the percentage of congruence with the perceived emotion. When participants posed a facial expression and perceived a non-congruent emotion, a neural network comprising bilateral anterior insula was activated. Brain activity was also correlated with empathic traits, particularly with empathic concern, fantasy and personal distress. Our findings support the idea that facial mimicry plays a crucial role in identifying emotions, and that empathic emotional abilities can modulate the brain circuits involved in this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Benuzzi
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Daniela Ballotta
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Claudia Casadio
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Vanessa Zanelli
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Carlo Adolfo Porro
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Paolo Frigio Nichelli
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Fausta Lui
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
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Bani M, Ardenghi S, Rampoldi G, Russo S, Strepparava MG. Impact of facemasks on psychotherapy: Clinician's confidence and emotion recognition. J Clin Psychol 2023; 79:1178-1191. [PMID: 36459660 PMCID: PMC9877818 DOI: 10.1002/jclp.23468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Facial emotion recognition is a key component of human interactions, and in clinical relationships contributes to building and maintaining the therapeutic alliance with patients. The introduction of facemasks has reduced the availability of facial information in private and professional relationships. This study aimed to assess the impact of facemasks on clinicians' perception of clinical interactions as well as their ability to read facial expressions. METHODS In this cross-sectional study, a purposive sample of 342 clinical psychologists or psychotherapists completed an online survey including the assessment of burnout, alexithymia, emotion dysregulation, and self-perceived ability to build effective relationships and communication with patients with/without facemasks. Participants were randomly assigned to the standardized facial emotion recognition task Diagnostic Analysis of Nonverbal Accuracy FACES 2-Adult Faces including 24 faces representing anger, fear, sadness, and happiness. RESULTS Facemasks impaired the self-perceived ability of clinicians to build effective relationships and communicate with patients and reduced satisfaction in clinical encounters. The ability of clinicians to recognize facial emotions is significantly reduced for masked happy and angry faces, but not for sad and afraid ones. The perceived difficulty in building good relationships and communication with patients had a positive correlation with alexithymia and emotion dysregulation; higher levels of discomfort when wearing facemasks had a positive correlation with burnout and emotion dysregulation. CONCLUSION Facemasks reduced clinicians' self-confidence in clinical encounters with patients wearing facemasks, but their facial emotion recognition performance was only partially impaired.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Bani
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza (MB), Italy
| | - Stefano Ardenghi
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza (MB), Italy
| | - Giulia Rampoldi
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza (MB), Italy
| | - Selena Russo
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza (MB), Italy
| | - Maria Grazia Strepparava
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza (MB), Italy.,Department of Mental Health, Clinical Psychology Unit, San Gerardo Hospital, ASST-Monza, Monza (MB), Italy
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Ando' A, Passariello G, Zennaro A. From the need to the knowledge. Feeding emotions and thoughts: Assessing emotion regulation strategies in food tribes. Scand J Psychol 2023; 64:212-229. [PMID: 36210528 DOI: 10.1111/sjop.12873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Some people choose to follow a certain dietary habit because they are guided by strong beliefs, but also to pursue a healthy lifestyle. Food tribes are defined as social groups sharing common values and beliefs that underlie food and lifestyle choices. The current study aimed to investigate potential differences in emotion regulation between specific food tribes, and when comparing food tribes to people who conversely do not follow a dietary habit. Specifically, we examined the presence of rumination, psychological inflexibility, and emotional contagion as components of emotion dysregulation. A Google form was developed to obtain all the information needed to respond to our research questions and goals, and investigate the following food groups: Veganism, Fruitarianism, Raw Food Diet, Paleodiet, Blood Type group, Breatharianism, Macrobiotic Diet, and Other. The final sample consisted of 378 healthy subjects (117 males, 258 females, 3 other) ranging in age from 18 to 70 years. The first part of Google form consisted of general questions about the participant's dietary habits while the second part included specific questionnaires assessing the psychological constructs we investigated. Vegan people were less conditioned by others in their food choices when compared to the other food tribes. The Paleodiet group associated its food choice with health reasons as well as the Blood Type group. Differences were found in the presence of cognitive inflexibility and rumination, reflective thinking, emotional dysregulation, emotional contagion and also in the representation of their real and ideal (food) communities. Clinical implications are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agata Ando'
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
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Pasini I, Perlini C, Donisi V, Mason A, Schweiger V, Secchettin E, Lugoboni F, Valenza G, Del Piccolo L. "INTEGRO INTEGRated Psychotherapeutic InterventiOn" on the Management of Chronic Pain in Patients with Fibromyalgia: The Role of the Therapeutic Relationship. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:3973. [PMID: 36900982 PMCID: PMC10002139 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20053973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic disease characterized by a heterogeneous set of physical and psychological conditions. The chronic experience of disability felt by patients and the impact on quality of life (QoL) of the disease may worsen the cognitive reappraisal ability and contribute to maintaining an altered pain modulation mechanism. This paper presents the study protocol of an INTEGRated psychotherapeutic interventiOn on the management of chronic pain in patients with fibromyalgia (INTEGRO). The aim of the study is to investigate the efficacy of an integrated psychotherapeutic intervention focused on pain management on QoL and pain perception, in a pilot sample of 45 FM patients with idiopathic chronic pain. The contribution of perceived therapeutic relationship (alliance) and physiological attunement, in both the patient and therapist, will be considered as possible mediators of intervention efficacy. Attachment dimensions, traumatic experiences, difficulties in emotion regulation, mindfulness attitude and psychophysiological profile will also be considered as covariates. The objectives are to evaluate longitudinally if patients will experience an increase in QoL perception (primary endpoint), pain-managing self-efficacy and emotion-regulation abilities as well as a reduction in pain intensity (secondary endpoints), considering the mediating role of perceived therapeutic alliance and physiological attunement in both the patient and therapist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilenia Pasini
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Cinzia Perlini
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Valeria Donisi
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Anna Mason
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Vittorio Schweiger
- Pain Therapy Centre, Department of Surgery, Dentistry, Maternal and Infant Sciences, Verona University Hospital, Policlinico GB Rossi, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Erica Secchettin
- Pain Therapy Centre, Department of Surgery, Dentistry, Maternal and Infant Sciences, Verona University Hospital, Policlinico GB Rossi, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Fabio Lugoboni
- Unit of Addiction Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Integrated University Hospital of Verona, Policlinico GB Rossi, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Gaetano Valenza
- Bioengineering and Robotics Research Center “E. Piaggio”, Department of Information Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Pisa, 56122 Pisa, Italy
| | - Lidia Del Piccolo
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
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Maglieri V, Zanoli A, Giunchi D, Palagi E. Social Isolation Affects the Mimicry Response in the Use of Smartphones : An Ethological Experiment during the COVID-19 Pandemic. HUMAN NATURE (HAWTHORNE, N.Y.) 2023; 34:88-102. [PMID: 36806091 PMCID: PMC9942080 DOI: 10.1007/s12110-023-09443-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
Humans are social animals that rely on different ways to interact with each other. The COVID-19 pandemic strongly changed our communication strategies. Because of the importance of direct contact for our species, we predict that immediately after the forced social isolation, people were more prone to engage in direct rather than in virtual interactions, thus showing a lower mimicry response in the use of smartphones. In a non-longitudinal study, we collected behavioral data under naturalistic contexts and directly compared the data of the mimicry response gathered immediately following the Italian lockdown (May-September 2020) with those gathered one year later (May-October 2021). Contrary to our expectations, the mimicry response in the use of smartphones was higher immediately after the lockdown than a year later. Probably the large use of these devices during the lockdown translated into a greater sensitivity to be affected by others' smartphone manipulation. Indeed, social isolation modified, at least in the short term, the ways we interact with others by making us more prone to engage in "virtual" social interactions. The bright side of the coin unveiled by our findings is that the effect seems to diminish over time. The large behavioral dataset analyzed here (1,608 events; 248 people) also revealed that the mimicry response in the use of smartphones was higher between familiar subjects than between strangers. In this view, mimicry in manipulating smartphones can be considered an example of joint action that fosters behavioral synchrony between individuals that, in the long-term, can translate into the formation of social bonding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Maglieri
- grid.5395.a0000 0004 1757 3729Unit of Ethology, Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via Volta 6, Pisa, 56126 Italy
| | - Anna Zanoli
- grid.7605.40000 0001 2336 6580Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Dimitri Giunchi
- grid.5395.a0000 0004 1757 3729Unit of Ethology, Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via Volta 6, Pisa, 56126 Italy
| | - Elisabetta Palagi
- Unit of Ethology, Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via Volta 6, Pisa, 56126, Italy.
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30
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Fu G, Yu Y, Ye J, Zheng Y, Li W, Cui N, Wang Q. A method for diagnosing depression: Facial expression mimicry is evaluated by facial expression recognition. J Affect Disord 2023; 323:809-818. [PMID: 36535548 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.12.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Considerable evidence has shown that facial expression mimicry is impaired in patients with depression. We aimed to evaluate voluntary expression mimicry by facial expression recognition for diagnosing depression. METHODS A total of 168 participants performed voluntary expression mimicry task, posing anger, disgust, fear, happiness, neutrality, sadness, and surprise. 9 healthy raters performed facial expression recognition task through the observer scoring method, and evaluated seven expressions imitated by participants. Emotional scores were calculated to measure any differences between two groups of participants and provided a basis for clinical diagnosis of depression. RESULTS Compared with the control group, the depression group had lower accuracy in imitating happiness. Compared with the control group, the depression group imitated a higher neutrality bias for sadness, surprise, happiness and disgust, while sadness and surprise had a lower happiness bias; for imitating happiness, the depression group showed higher anger, disgust, fear, neutrality, and surprise bias; for imitating neutrality, the depression group showed higher sadness bias, and lower happiness bias. Compared with the control group, the raters had a higher reaction time to recognize the happiness imitated by depression group, and it was positively correlated with severity of depression. The severity of depression was also negatively correlated with accuracy in imitating happiness, and positively correlated with neutrality bias of imitating surprise. LIMITATIONS The ecological effectiveness of static stimulus materials is lower than that of dynamic stimuli. Without synchronized functional imaging, there is no way to link brain activation patterns. CONCLUSION The ability of patients with depression to voluntarily imitate facial expressions declines, which is mainly reflected in accuracy, bias and recognizability. Our experiment has discovered deficits in these aspects of patients with depression, which will be used as a method for diagnosising depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Fu
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250353, China
| | - Yanhong Yu
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250355, China
| | - Jiayu Ye
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250353, China
| | - Yunshao Zheng
- Shandong Provincial Mental Health Center, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Wentao Li
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250353, China
| | - Ning Cui
- College of Health, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250355, China
| | - Qingxiang Wang
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250353, China.
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31
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Salazar Kämpf M, Kanske P. Mimicry and affective disorders. Front Psychiatry 2023; 13:1105503. [PMID: 36762295 PMCID: PMC9905714 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1105503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Mimicry, the spontaneous imitation of an interaction partner, is an important part of everyday communication, as it has been shown to foster relationships and increase closeness. People with affective disorders often have problems in their interpersonal lives. In this review, we pursue the question if these problems are linked to differences in mimicry behavior. First, we summarize existing evidence on mimicry, depression and mood. Then, based on five theories differing in their core assumptions regarding mechanisms and functionality of mimicry, we derive suggestions on how mimicry might affect people suffering from bipolar disorders, dysthymia or depression. Depending on each theory, a different understanding of affective disorders and mimicry arises, and we show how the evidence fit in with the suggested theories. Previous studies on affective disorders have focused on mimicry behavior of participants watching photos, computer-generated images, or short video sequences. This review sheds light on the fact that evidence on mimicry needs to be broadened systematically for people with affective disorders in interactional settings. Mimicry represents a novel and important yet underestimated source for diagnostic, intervention and evaluation processes in affective disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maike Salazar Kämpf
- Clinical Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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32
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Sun W, Chen T, Hietanen JK. Skin conductance, facial EMG, and heart rate responses in multi-person gaze interactions. Biol Psychol 2023; 176:108465. [PMID: 36442581 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2022.108465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Previous literature has reported enhanced affective and attentional responses to faces with a direct vs. averted gaze. Typically, in these studies, only single faces were presented. However, daily social encounters often involve interaction with more than just one person. By employing an experimental set-up in which the participants believed they were interacting with two other persons, the present study, for the first time, investigated participants' skin conductance, facial electromyographic (EMG), and heart rate deceleration responses in multi-person eye contact situations. Responses were measured in two different social contexts; i) when the participants observed eye contact between two other persons ('vicarious eye contact effect'), and ii) when the participants themselves received direct gaze either from one or two persons. The results showed that the skin conductance, facial EMG, and heart rate deceleration responses elicited by observing two other persons making eye contact did not differ from those elicited by observing one person looking at the other while the other person was not reciprocating with their gaze. As a novel finding, the results showed that receiving direct gaze from two persons elicited greater affective arousal and zygomatic EMG, but smaller heart rate deceleration responses in participants than receiving direct gaze from one person only. The findings are thoroughly discussed and it is concluded that physiological responses in multi-person interaction contexts are influenced by many social effects between the interactors and can be markedly different from those observed in two-person interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenting Sun
- Department of Psychology, School of Education, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China
| | - Tingji Chen
- Department of Psychology, School of Education, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China.
| | - Jari K Hietanen
- Human Information Processing Laboratory, Faculty of Social Sciences/Psychology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
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33
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Straulino E, Scarpazza C, Sartori L. What is missing in the study of emotion expression? Front Psychol 2023; 14:1158136. [PMID: 37179857 PMCID: PMC10173880 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1158136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
While approaching celebrations for the 150 years of "The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals", scientists' conclusions on emotion expression are still debated. Emotion expression has been traditionally anchored to prototypical and mutually exclusive facial expressions (e.g., anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise). However, people express emotions in nuanced patterns and - crucially - not everything is in the face. In recent decades considerable work has critiqued this classical view, calling for a more fluid and flexible approach that considers how humans dynamically perform genuine expressions with their bodies in context. A growing body of evidence suggests that each emotional display is a complex, multi-component, motoric event. The human face is never static, but continuously acts and reacts to internal and environmental stimuli, with the coordinated action of muscles throughout the body. Moreover, two anatomically and functionally different neural pathways sub-serve voluntary and involuntary expressions. An interesting implication is that we have distinct and independent pathways for genuine and posed facial expressions, and different combinations may occur across the vertical facial axis. Investigating the time course of these facial blends, which can be controlled consciously only in part, is recently providing a useful operational test for comparing the different predictions of various models on the lateralization of emotions. This concise review will identify shortcomings and new challenges regarding the study of emotion expressions at face, body, and contextual levels, eventually resulting in a theoretical and methodological shift in the study of emotions. We contend that the most feasible solution to address the complex world of emotion expression is defining a completely new and more complete approach to emotional investigation. This approach can potentially lead us to the roots of emotional display, and to the individual mechanisms underlying their expression (i.e., individual emotional signatures).
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Straulino
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- *Correspondence: Elisa Straulino,
| | - Cristina Scarpazza
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- IRCCS San Camillo Hospital, Venice, Italy
| | - Luisa Sartori
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Luisa Sartori,
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Snijdewint JA, Scheepers D. Group‐based flow: The influence of cardiovascular synchronization and identifiability. Psychophysiology 2022; 60:e14227. [PMID: 36458474 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Previous work has demonstrated the role of group-based flow in group performance and experience, but the physiological correlates of these relations are largely unknown. We examined the relation between cardiovascular synchronization, self-reported flow, and performance in a three-person online gaming task. We included measures of Heart Rate (HR), Pre-Ejection Period (PEP), and Cardiac Output (CO) as indices of task engagement and challenge (vs. threat) motivation. Group members were identifiable (i.e., visible) or anonymous during the game. Results indicated that PEP (as a marker of task engagement) and within-group synchronization in PEP, predicted flow, and that synchronization in PEP mediated the relation between group performance and experienced flow. The anonymity vs. identifiability of group members did not play a role in these effects. Results are discussed in terms of implications for flow theory, group dynamics, and physiological synchrony.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joyce A. Snijdewint
- Social, Economic, and Organizational Psychology Leiden University Leiden the Netherlands
| | - Daan Scheepers
- Social, Economic, and Organizational Psychology Leiden University Leiden the Netherlands
- Organizational Behavior Group Utrecht University Utrecht the Netherlands
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35
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Hendrikse SC, Kluiver S, Treur J, Wilderjans TF, Dikker S, Koole SL. How Virtual Agents Can Learn to Synchronize: an Adaptive Joint Decision-Making Model of Psychotherapy. COGN SYST RES 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogsys.2022.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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Davis JD, Coulson S, Blaison C, Hess U, Winkielman P. Mimicry of partially occluded emotional faces: do we mimic what we see or what we know? Cogn Emot 2022; 36:1555-1575. [PMID: 36300446 DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2022.2135490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Facial electromyography (EMG) was used to investigate patterns of facial mimicry in response to partial facial expressions in two contexts that differ in how naturalistic and socially significant the faces are. Experiment 1 presented participants with either the upper- or lower-half of facial expressions and used a forced-choice emotion categorisation task. This task emphasises cognition at the expense of ecological and social validity. Experiment 2 presented whole heads and expressions were occluded by clothing. Additionally, the emotion recognition task is more open-ended. This context has greater social validity. We found mimicry in both experiments, however mimicry differed in terms of which emotions were mimicked and the extent to which the mimicry involved muscle sites that were not observed. In the more cognitive context, there was relatively more motor matching (i.e. mimicking only what was seen). In the more socially valid context, participants were less likely to mimic only what they saw - and instead mimicked what they knew. Additionally, participants mimicked anger in the cognitive context but not the social context. These findings suggest that mimicry involves multiple mechanisms and that the more social the context, the more likely it is to reflect a mechanism of social regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua D Davis
- Cognitive Science Department, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, USA
- Social and Behavioral Sciences Department, Southwestern College, Chula Vista, CA, USA
| | - Seana Coulson
- Cognitive Science Department, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, USA
| | | | - Ursula Hess
- Psychology Department, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
| | - Piotr Winkielman
- Psychology Department, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, USA
- Psychology Department, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw, Poland
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37
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Mauersberger H, Kastendieck T, Hetmann A, Schöll A, Hess U. The different shades of laughter: when do we laugh and when do we mimic other's laughter? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210188. [PMID: 36126661 PMCID: PMC9489280 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Laughter is an ambiguous phenomenon in response to both positive and negative events and a social signal that coordinates social interactions. We assessed (i) who laughs and why, and (ii) if the type of laughter and whether the observer approves of it impact on facial mimicry as a proxy for shared laughter. For this, 329 participants watched funny, schadenfreude and disgusting scenes and then saw individuals who purportedly reacted to each scene while participants' facial expressions were recorded and analysed. Participants laughed more in response to funny than in response to schadenfreude scenes and least in response to disgust scenes, and laughter within each scene could be explained both by situational perceptions of the scenes as well as by individual differences. Furthermore, others' laughter in response to funny scenes was perceived as more appropriate, elicited more closeness and more laughter mimicry than others' laughter in response to schadenfreude and especially in response to disgust scenes. Appropriateness and closeness as well as individual differences could explain laughter mimicry within each scene. This is in line with the notion that laughter is not per se an affiliative signal and that different types of laughter have distinct social implications. This article is part of the theme issue 'Cracking the laugh code: laughter through the lens of biology, psychology and neuroscience'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi Mauersberger
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt University of Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany
| | - Till Kastendieck
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt University of Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany
| | - Annika Hetmann
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt University of Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany
| | - Anja Schöll
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt University of Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ursula Hess
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt University of Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany
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Kroczek LO, Mühlberger A. Returning a smile: Initiating a social interaction with a facial emotional expression influences the evaluation of the expression received in return. Biol Psychol 2022; 175:108453. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2022.108453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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39
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Khatin-Zadeh O, Farsani D, Eskandari Z, Marmolejo-Ramos F. The roles of motion, gesture, and embodied action in the processing of mathematical concepts. Front Psychol 2022; 13:969341. [PMID: 36312053 PMCID: PMC9616004 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.969341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
This article discusses perspective and frame of reference in the metaphorical description of mathematical concepts in terms of motions, gestures, and embodied actions. When a mathematical concept is described metaphorically in terms of gestures, embodied actions, or fictive motions, the motor system comes into play to ground and understand that concept. Every motion, gesture, or embodied action involves a perspective and a frame of reference. The flexibility in taking perspective and frame of reference allows people to embody a mathematical concept or idea in various ways. Based on the findings of past studies, it is suggested that the graphical representation of a mathematical concept may activate those areas of the motor system that are involved in the production of that graphical representation. This is supported by studies showing that when observers look at a painting or handwritten letters, they simulate the painter's or writer's hand movements during painting or writing. Likewise, the motor system can contribute to the grounding of abstract mathematical concepts, such as functions, numbers, and arithmetic operations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omid Khatin-Zadeh
- School of Foreign Languages, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Danyal Farsani
- Department of Teacher Education, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- Facultad de Educación, Psicología y Familia, Universidad Finis Terrae, Santiago, Chile
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação Matemática, State University of São Paulo (UNESP), Rio Claro, Brasil
| | - Zahra Eskandari
- Department of English, Chabahar Maritime University, Chabahar, Sistan and Baluchestan, Iran
| | - Fernando Marmolejo-Ramos
- Center for Change and Complexity in Learning, The University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia
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Chung-Fat-Yim A, Chen P, Chan AHD, Marian V. Audio-Visual Interactions During Emotion Processing in Bicultural Bilinguals. MOTIVATION AND EMOTION 2022; 46:719-734. [PMID: 36299445 PMCID: PMC9590621 DOI: 10.1007/s11031-022-09953-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Despite the growing number of bicultural bilinguals in the world, the way in which multisensory emotions are evaluated by bilinguals who identify with two or more cultures remains unknown. In the present study, Chinese-English bicultural bilinguals from Singapore viewed Asian or Caucasian faces and heard Mandarin or English speech, and evaluated the emotion from one of the two simultaneously-presented modalities. Reliance on the visual modality was greater when bicultural bilinguals processed Western audio-visual emotion information. Although no differences between modalities emerged when processing East-Asian audio-visual emotion information, correlations revealed that bicultural bilinguals increased their reliance on the auditory modality with more daily exposure to East-Asian cultures. Greater interference from the irrelevant modality was observed for Asian faces paired with English speech than for Caucasian faces paired with Mandarin speech. We conclude that processing of emotion in bicultural bilinguals is guided by culture-specific norms, and that familiarity influences how the emotions of those who speak a foreign language are perceived and evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Peiyao Chen
- Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
| | - Alice H. D. Chan
- Linguistics and Multilingual Studies, School of Humanities, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
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41
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Deliberate control of facial expressions in a go/no-go task: An ERP study. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2022; 230:103773. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2022.103773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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42
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Mauersberger H, Kastendieck T, Hess U. I looked at you, you looked at me, I smiled at you, you smiled at me—The impact of eye contact on emotional mimicry. Front Psychol 2022; 13:970954. [PMID: 36248540 PMCID: PMC9556997 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.970954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Eye contact is an essential element of human interaction and direct eye gaze has been shown to have effects on a range of attentional and cognitive processes. Specifically, direct eye contact evokes a positive affective reaction. As such, it has been proposed that obstructed eye contact reduces emotional mimicry (i.e., the imitation of our counterpart’s emotions). So far, emotional mimicry research has used averted-gaze faces or unnaturally covered eyes (with black censor bars) to analyze the effect of eye contact on emotional mimicry. However, averted gaze can also signal disinterest/ disengagement and censor bars obscure eye-adjacent areas as well and hence impede emotion recognition. In the present study (N = 44), we used a more ecological valid approach by showing photos of actors who expressed either happiness, sadness, anger, or disgust while either wearing mirroring sunglasses that obstruct eye contact or clear glasses. The glasses covered only the direct eye region but not the brows, nose ridge, and cheeks. Our results confirm that participants were equally accurate in recognizing the emotions of their counterparts in both conditions (sunglasses vs. glasses). Further, in line with our hypotheses, participants felt closer to the targets and mimicked affiliative emotions more intensely when their counterparts wore glasses instead of sunglasses. For antagonistic emotions, we found the opposite pattern: Disgust mimicry, which was interpreted as an affective reaction rather than genuine mimicry, could be only found in the sunglasses condition. It may be that obstructed eye contact increased the negative impression of disgusted facial expressions and hence the negative feelings disgust faces evoked. The present study provides further evidence for the notion that eye contact is an important prerequisite for emotional mimicry and hence for smooth and satisfying social interactions.
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43
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Hsu CT, Sato W, Kochiyama T, Nakai R, Asano K, Abe N, Yoshikawa S. Enhanced Mirror Neuron Network Activity and Effective Connectivity during Live Interaction Among Female Subjects. Neuroimage 2022; 263:119655. [PMID: 36182055 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Facial expressions are indispensable in daily human communication. Previous neuroimaging studies investigating facial expression processing have presented pre-recorded stimuli and lacked live face-to-face interaction. Our paradigm alternated between presentations of real-time model performance and pre-recorded videos of dynamic facial expressions to participants. Simultaneous functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and facial electromyography activity recordings, as well as post-scan valence and arousal ratings were acquired from 44 female participants. Live facial expressions enhanced the subjective valence and arousal ratings as well as facial muscular responses. Live performances showed greater engagement of the right posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS), right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), right amygdala and right fusiform gyrus, and modulated the effective connectivity within the right mirror neuron system (IFG, pSTS, and right inferior parietal lobule). A support vector machine algorithm could classify multivoxel activation patterns in brain regions involved in dynamic facial expression processing in the mentalizing networks (anterior and posterior cingulate cortex). These results indicate that live social interaction modulates the activity and connectivity of the right mirror neuron system and enhances spontaneous mimicry, further facilitating emotional contagion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Ting Hsu
- Psychological Process Research Team, Guardian Robot Project, RIKEN, 2-2-2 Hikaridai, Seika-cho, Soraku-gun, Kyoto 619-0288, Japan..
| | - Wataru Sato
- Psychological Process Research Team, Guardian Robot Project, RIKEN, 2-2-2 Hikaridai, Seika-cho, Soraku-gun, Kyoto 619-0288, Japan..
| | - Takanori Kochiyama
- Brain Activity Imaging Center, ATR- Promotions, Inc., 2-2-2 Hikaridai, Seika-cho, Soraku-gun, Kyoto 619-0288, Japan
| | - Ryusuke Nakai
- Institute for the Future of Human Society, Kyoto University, 46 Yoshidashimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501 Japan
| | - Kohei Asano
- Institute for the Future of Human Society, Kyoto University, 46 Yoshidashimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501 Japan; Department of Children Education, Osaka University of Comprehensive Children Education, 6-chome-4-26 Yuzato, Higashisumiyoshi Ward, Osaka, 546-0013, Japan
| | - Nobuhito Abe
- Institute for the Future of Human Society, Kyoto University, 46 Yoshidashimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501 Japan
| | - Sakiko Yoshikawa
- Institute of Philosophy and Human Values, Kyoto University of the Arts, 2-116 Uryuyama Kitashirakawa, Sakyo, Kyoto, Kyoto 606-8271, Japan
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44
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Emotion recognition in the times of COVID19: Coping with face masks. INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS WITH APPLICATIONS 2022. [PMCID: PMC9233883 DOI: 10.1016/j.iswa.2022.200094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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45
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Abstract
The goal of this article is to discuss theoretical arguments concerning the idea that emotional mimicry is an intrinsic part of our social being and thus can be considered a social act. For this, we will first present the theoretical assumptions underlying the Emotional Mimicry as Social Regulator view. We then provide a brief overview of recent developments in emotional mimicry research and specifically discuss new developments regarding the role of emotional mimicry in actual interactions and relationships, and individual differences in emotional mimicry. We conclude with open questions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ursula Hess
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Agneta Fischer
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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46
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Massaccesi C, Korb S, Willeit M, Quednow BB, Silani G. Effects of the mu-opioid receptor agonist morphine on facial mimicry and emotion recognition. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 142:105801. [PMID: 35609510 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Facial mimicry and emotion recognition are two socio-cognitive abilities involved in adaptive socio-emotional behavior, promoting affiliation and the establishment of social bonds. The mu-opioid receptor (MOR) system plays a key role in affiliation and social bonding. However, it remains unclear whether MORs are involved in the categorization and spontaneous mimicry of emotional facial expressions. Using a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, between-subjects design, we investigated in 82 healthy female volunteers the effects of the specific MOR agonist morphine on the recognition accuracy of emotional faces (happiness, anger, fear), and on their facial mimicry (measured with electromyography). Frequentist statistics did not reveal any significant effects of drug administration on facial mimicry or emotion recognition abilities. However, post hoc Bayesian analyses provided support for an effect of morphine on facial mimicry of fearful facial expressions. Specifically, compared to placebo, morphine reduced mimicry of fear, as shown by lower activity of the frontalis muscle. Bayesian analyses also provided support for the absence of a drug effect on mimicry of happy and angry facial expressions, which were assessed with the zygomaticus major and corrugator supercilii muscles, as well as on emotion recognition accuracy. These findings suggest that MOR activity is involved in automatic facial responses to fearful stimuli, but not in their identification. Overall, the current results, together with the previously reported small effects of opioid compounds, suggest a relatively marginal role of the MOR system in emotion simulation and perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Massaccesi
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Austria.
| | - Sebastian Korb
- Department of Psychology, University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom; Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthaeus Willeit
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Boris B Quednow
- Experimental and Clinical Pharmacopsychology, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Giorgia Silani
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Austria
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47
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Vlaeyen JMR, Heesen R, Kret ME, Clay Z, Bionda T, Kim Y. Bared-teeth displays in bonobos (Pan paniscus): An assessment of the power asymmetry hypothesis. Am J Primatol 2022; 84:e23419. [PMID: 35848310 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Facial expressions are key to navigating social group life. The Power Asymmetry Hypothesis of Motivational Emancipation predicts that the type of social organization shapes the meaning of communicative displays in relation to an individual's dominance rank. The bared-teeth (BT) display represents one of the most widely observed communicative signals across primate species. Studies in macaques indicate that the BT display in despotic species is often performed unidirectionally, from low- to high-ranking individuals (signaling submission), whereas the BT display in egalitarian species is usually produced irrespective of dominance (mainly signaling affiliation and appeasement). Despite its widespread presence, research connecting BT displays to the power asymmetry hypothesis outside the Macaca genus remains scarce. To extend this knowledge, we investigated the production of BT in relation to social dominance in dyadic interactions (N = 11,377 events) of 11 captive bonobos (Pan paniscus). Although adult bonobos were more despotic than previously suggested in the literature, BT displays were produced irrespective of dominance rank. Moreover, while adults produced the BT exclusively during socio-sexual interactions, especially during periods of social tension, immature bonobos produced the BT in a wider number of contexts. As such, the results indicate that the communicative meaning of the BT display is consistent with signaling appeasement, especially in periods of social tension. Moreover, the BT display does not seem to signal social status, supporting the prediction for species with a high degree of social tolerance. These results advance our understanding of the origins of communicative signals and their relation to species' social systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolinde M R Vlaeyen
- Animal Behaviour and Cognition, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.,Institute of Cognitive Science Comparative BioCognition, University of Osnabrück, Osnabruck, Germany
| | | | - Mariska E Kret
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Zanna Clay
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | | | - Yena Kim
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
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48
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Recio G, Surdzhiyska Y, Bagherzadeh-Azbari S, Hilpert P, Rostami HN, Xu Q, Sommer W. Deliberate control over facial expressions in motherhood. Evidence from a Stroop-like task. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2022; 228:103652. [PMID: 35753142 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2022.103652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The deliberate control of facial expressions is an important ability in human interactions, in particular for mothers with prelinguistic infants. Because research on this topic is still scarce, we investigated the control over facial expressions in a Stroop-like paradigm. Mothers of 2-6 months old infants and nullipara women produced smiles and frowns in response to verbal commands written on distractor faces of adults or infants showing expressions of happiness or anger/distress. Analyses of video recordings with a machine classifier for facial expression revealed pronounced effects of congruency between the expressions required by the participants and those displayed by the face stimuli on the onset latencies of the deliberate facial expressions. With adult distractor faces this Stroop effect was similar whether participants smiled or frowned. With infant distractor faces mothers and non-mothers showed indistinguishable Stroop effects on smile responses; however, for frown responses, the Stroop effect in mothers was smaller than in non-mothers. We suggest that for frown responses in mothers when facing infants, the effect of mimicry or stimulus response compatibility, leading to the Stroop effect, is offset by a caregiving response or empathy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Qiang Xu
- Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Germany; Ningbo University, China
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49
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Folz J, Fiacchino D, Nikolić M, van Steenbergen H, Kret ME. Reading Your Emotions in My Physiology? Reliable Emotion Interpretations in Absence of a Robust Physiological Resonance. AFFECTIVE SCIENCE 2022; 3:480-497. [PMID: 35282156 PMCID: PMC8901434 DOI: 10.1007/s42761-021-00083-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Affective states are expressed in an individual’s physical appearance, ranging from facial expressions and body postures, to indicators of physiological arousal (e.g., a blush). Confirming the claimed communicative function of these markers, humans are capable of distinguishing between a variety of discrete emotion displays. In an attempt to explain the underlying mechanism, characteristic bodily changes within the observer, including physiological arousal and mimicry, have been suggested to facilitate the interpretation of an expression. The current study aims to create a holistic picture of emotion perception by (1) using three different sources of emotional information (prototypical facial expressions, bodily expressions, and subtle facial cues) and (2) measuring changes in multiple physiological signals (facial electromyography, skin conductance level, skin temperature, and pupil size). While participants clearly discriminated between perceived emotional expressions, there was no overall 1–1 correspondence with their physiological responses. Some specific but robust effects were observed. Angry facial expressions were consistently responded to with a peak in skin conductance level. Furthermore, sad body expressions were associated with a drop in skin temperature. In addition to being the best recognized expression, viewing happy faces elicited congruent facial muscle responses, which supports the potential role of embodied simulation in emotion recognition. Lastly, tears were not only rated as highly emotional intense but also evoked a peak in skin conductance level in the observer. The absence of distinct physiological responses to other expressions could be explained by the lacking functionality of affect sharing in a non-interactive experimental context. Consequentially, emotional alignment in body and mind might especially take place in real social situations, which should be considered in future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Folz
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, 2333 AK The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, 2300 RC The Netherlands
| | - Donatella Fiacchino
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, 2333 AK The Netherlands
| | - Milica Nikolić
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, 2333 AK The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, 2300 RC The Netherlands
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1018 WS The Netherlands
| | - Henk van Steenbergen
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, 2333 AK The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, 2300 RC The Netherlands
| | - Mariska E. Kret
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, 2333 AK The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, 2300 RC The Netherlands
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50
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Namba S, Sato W, Nakamura K, Watanabe K. Computational Process of Sharing Emotion: An Authentic Information Perspective. Front Psychol 2022; 13:849499. [PMID: 35645906 PMCID: PMC9134197 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.849499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Although results of many psychology studies have shown that sharing emotion achieves dyadic interaction, no report has explained a study of the transmission of authentic information from emotional expressions that can strengthen perceivers. For this study, we used computational modeling, which is a multinomial processing tree, for formal quantification of the process of sharing emotion that emphasizes the perception of authentic information for expressers’ feeling states from facial expressions. Results indicated that the ability to perceive authentic information of feeling states from a happy expression has a higher probability than the probability of judging authentic information from anger expressions. Next, happy facial expressions can activate both emotional elicitation and sharing emotion in perceivers, where emotional elicitation alone is working rather than sharing emotion for angry facial expressions. Third, parameters to detect anger experiences were found to be correlated positively with those of happiness. No robust correlation was found between the parameters extracted from this experiment task and questionnaire-measured emotional contagion, empathy, and social anxiety. Results of this study revealed the possibility that a new computational approach contributes to description of emotion sharing processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shushi Namba
- Psychological Process Research Team, Guardian Robot Project, RIKEN, Kyoto, Japan
- *Correspondence: Shushi Namba,
| | - Wataru Sato
- Psychological Process Research Team, Guardian Robot Project, RIKEN, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Koyo Nakamura
- Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Katsumi Watanabe
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
- Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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