Facial Expression and Gesture

1. Facial Expression and Gesture Dr. Nancy Alvarado

2. Proximity • Closeness, orientation toward others, motion, all communicate social information. • Even geometric objects look social when they behave socially (e.g., cartoons). • Autistic children and adults lack this information, with consequent social deficits • https://info.med.yale.edu/chldstdy/neuroimg/sat_movies.htm

3. In Group/Out Group • Knowledge of proper gesture and proxemics signals inclusion in a social group. • Cross-cultural differences produce a feeling of discomfort • Abnormal behavior also produces discomfort and exclusion.

4. Universals vs Culture • Gestures vary widely across cultures, with unfortunate consequences. • Bush’s satanic gesture • Certain facial expressions seem to be universal cross-culturally: • Smiles • Ekman & Friesen’s basic emotions

5. Evolution and Expression • Darwin’s theory of emotional expression. • Dogs and other species with dominance hierarchy use displays of aggression. • Dominance displays are different than predatory or survival-related displays. • Dogs • Primates

6. Encoding vs Decoding • A display tends to evolve along with the ability to interpret or understand that display. • Signals of danger are useless without the ability to know what they mean. • Decoding and attribution are not the same thing.

7. “Reading” Body Language • Faces are not “readouts” of emotion or any other internal state. • People can control their expression. • People can portray false expressions. • Deception protects internal privacy in a social world. • Deception makes social interaction smoother.

8. Nurse’s Study • Each trial includes: • One person looking at a gross amputation film but lying about it. • One person looking at pretty scenery and telling the truth about it. • Your job is to tell which is which. • For each segment indicate T or F (if lying).

9. Most People Can’t Catch a Lie • The cues that signal lying are not those people think go with lying. • They are NOT: • Shifty eyes (averted gaze) • Nervousness or hesitation • Look for inconsistencies, thinking where no thought is required, micro-expressions.

10. Expression Varies Across Cultures • How much expression is considered appropriate varies: • By sex (females more, males less) • By social class (Woloff “griots,” Italian professional mourners, upper vs lower class British and American) • By culture (Japanese forms of address, hot-headed “Latin” cultures)

11. Expression and Collectivism • Homogeneous, high-density, collectivist cultures emphasize social cohesion. • Conformity is rewarded • Shame is expressed • Heterogeneous, competitive, individualist cultures emphasize individuality. • Expressivity is rewarded • Guilt is expressed (personal responsibility)

12. How Expression Regulates Affect • Emotion is contagious • Depressed people feel better, non-depressed feel worse after an interaction. • Expression affects internal subjective experience – facial feedback. • Smile in order to feel better. • Venting intensifies, not decreases affect.