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The Compositionality of Facial Expressions.
Carmel Sofer1, Ron Dotsch2, Dan Vilenchik3
126732Department of Cognitive & Brain Sciences, Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel.
Perception
|March 1, 2022
Summary
The principle of compositionality, key in language research, also guides facial expression interpretation. Our study shows composite facial meanings arise from individual expressions and how they combine.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive psychology
- Linguistics
- Neuroscience
Background:
- The principle of compositionality is fundamental in understanding language and cognition.
- It suggests complex meanings derive from constituent parts and their combination rules.
- Its application to non-linguistic communication, like facial expressions, remains less explored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of the principle of compositionality in interpreting sequences of facial expressions.
- To determine if composite meanings of facial expressions follow compositional rules.
- To provide a systematic account of facial expression meaning perception.
Main Methods:
- Three experimental studies were conducted.
- Participants interpreted sequences of two emotional facial expression images.
- Data were analyzed to identify patterns of meaning formation.
Main Results:
- Evidence supports the principle of compositionality in facial expression interpretation.
- The composite meaning of facial expression sequences is determined by constituent expressions and an algebraic operation.
- A systematic model for perception of single and sequential facial expressions was demonstrated.
Conclusions:
- The principle of compositionality significantly influences the interpretation of facial expressions.
- Facial expression meaning is constructed compositionally, similar to language.
- This suggests compositionality may underpin various human communication modalities beyond spoken language.
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