An Eye-Tracking Study of Pain Perception Toward Faces with Visible Differences

This research examines the underlying processes of public stigma toward visible facial differences (VFDs) by focusing on gaze behavior. Past research showed that a VFD influences the visual processing of faces, leading to increased attention to the VFD area at the expense of internal features (i.e., eyes, nose, mouth). Since these features primarily convey affective information, this pre-registered study investigates whether this bias also affects pain perception. In an eye-tracking task, participants (N = 44) viewed faces that either did or did not display a VFD located in a peripheral area of the face, and that either did or did not express pain, while their gaze behavior was being recorded. Participants then rated perceived pain intensity for each face. Results showed that VFDs diverted attention toward peripheral features and away from internal, pain-relevant features of the face. Surprisingly, participants rated faces with VFDs as experiencing more pain, regardless of whether pain was actually expressed. This suggests that, despite gazing less at facial expressions, observers inferred pain based on task-irrelevant features, likely stereotypes related to the VFD. These findings provide insights into how people with VFDs are perceived and how their emotions are interpreted.