Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 6, 2026

Exploring the Use of Isolated Expressions and Film Clips to Evaluate Emotion Recognition by People with Traumatic Brain Injury
Published on: May 15, 2016
Subtle positive facial expression recognition is enhanced by comedy viewing: individual differences in empathy and
Keisuke Adachi1, Miyu Kashiwa1, Masaumi Shimizu2
1Graduate School of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, Yamazaki 2641, Noda, 278-8510, Japan.
None:
Recognising the subtle signs of positive emotions is essential for trust, cooperation, and social connections. However, everyday barriers such as face masks can hinder this ability. We tested whether a brief positive mood induction via comedy viewing could enhance the recognition of subtle smiles and whether this depended on mask-wearing and individual traits. Fifty-three adults (22 males, 31 females) completed a within-subject experiment, watching either a comedy performance or a neutral weather broadcast, and then judged the valence of morphed facial expressions (10-30% intensity) with or without a mask. Comedy viewing significantly increased positive mood and reduced negative mood. Recognition accuracy for subtle positive expressions improved after comedy for unmasked faces but not for masked faces. Greater perspective-taking and lower depressive mood were associated with greater improvement in exploratory analyses. These results suggest that a short, enjoyable activity, such as watching comedy, may enhance sensitivity to others' positive emotions, but only when key facial cues are visible.
Related Concept Videos
Facial Feedback Hypothesis
Empathy
Emotional Expression
Universal Facial Expressions
Psychologist Paul Ekman identified seven basic...
Causes of Social Behavior I: Actions and Characteristics of Individuals
Therapeutic Communication
Verbal communication depends on language or a prescribed way of using words so that people can share information effectively. The critical aspects of verbal...
Non-Verbal Cues

