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Reliability of surface facial electromyography.

Ursula Hess¹, Ruben Arslan², Heidi Mauersberger¹

¹Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

Psychophysiology

|December 22, 2016

Summary

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Facial electromyography (EMG) shows varied reliability for measuring emotional responses. While some facial muscle reaction patterns are stable, overall consistency is influenced by factors beyond the emotional stimulus itself.

Area of Science:

Psychophysiology
Nonverbal Communication Research
Affective Science

Background:

Facial electromyography (fEMG) is a common tool for measuring facial mimicry and affective responses.
Estimating the reliability of fEMG is crucial for its valid application in psychological research.

Purpose of the Study:

To assess the reliability of fEMG in indexing facial mimicry and affective reactions to stimuli.
To determine the consistency of fEMG measures across different muscles, data treatments, and time.

Main Methods:

Two studies utilized fEMG data to evaluate reliability.
Analyses included internal consistency (using difference and contrast scores) and test-retest reliability over extended periods (15-24 months).

Main Results:

Keywords:

Facial EMG Reliability

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Reliability varied significantly across individual facial muscles and data analysis methods.
Contrast measures showed acceptable internal consistency for positive stimuli (smiling faces, affiliative images) but not for negative emotions or achievement imagery.
Temporal stability for contrast measures was good over 24 months (Study 1) and 15 months (Study 2).
Methodological factors (e.g., presentation mode) were more reliable than emotion effects in Study 1.

Conclusions:

fEMG reliability for affective responses is complex, influenced by multiple factors beyond the eliciting stimulus.
While specific facial muscle reaction patterns (contrast measures) demonstrate temporal stability, overall internal consistency can be biased.
Researchers should carefully consider data treatment and potential confounding factors when interpreting fEMG findings related to emotion.