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Gender differences in emotion experience perception under different facial muscle manipulations
Yufeng Wang1, Dongjun Zhang1, Feng Zou1
1Department of Psychology, Xinxiang Medical University, Henan 453003, China.
Consciousness and Cognition
|February 5, 2016
Summary
Facial muscle manipulation influences emotional perception. Women showed greater changes in emotion ratings than men when smiling muscles were activated, supporting embodied emotion theory.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Cognitive Science
- Embodied Cognition
Background:
- Embodied emotion theory posits facial actions influence emotional experience.
- Limited research exists on gender differences in emotion perception under facial manipulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate gender differences in emotional perception.
- To examine the effect of facial muscle manipulation (smiling vs. inhibiting smiling) on emotion perception.
Main Methods:
- Two behavioral experiments were conducted.
- Participants held pens with their teeth (facilitating smiling) or lips (inhibiting smiling), or no pen.
- Emotional perception was assessed for sad, neutral, and happy facial expressions.
Main Results:
- Holding a pen with teeth (HPT) led to more positive emotional feelings.
- Women exhibited a larger change in emotion ratings for sad faces between conditions (lip vs. teeth pen hold) compared to men.
Conclusions:
- Facial muscle activity significantly impacts emotional perception.
- Gender differences exist in the modulation of emotional experience by embodied cues, with females showing greater sensitivity.
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