Looking for Infrequent Faces: Visual Patterns and Gender Effect in Detecting Crying and Smiling Expressions

Rong Shi

SAGE Open, 2020, vol. 10, issue 2, 2158244020923358

Abstract: Previous research has focused on documenting the perceptual mechanisms of facial expressions of so-called basic emotions; however, little is known about eye movement in terms of recognizing crying expressions. The present study aimed to clarify the visual pattern and the role of face gender in recognizing smiling and crying expressions. Behavioral reactions and fixations duration were recorded, and proportions of fixation counts and viewing time directed at facial features (eyes, nose, and mouth area) were calculated. Results indicated that crying expressions could be processed and recognized faster than that of smiling expressions. Across these expressions, eyes and nose area received more attention than mouth area, but in smiling facial expressions, participants fixated longer on the mouth area. It seems that proportional gaze allocation at facial features was quantitatively modulated by different expressions, but overall gaze distribution was qualitatively similar across crying and smiling facial expressions. Moreover, eye movements showed visual attention was modulated by the gender of faces: Participants looked longer at female faces with smiling expressions relative to male faces. Findings are discussed around the perceptual mechanisms underlying facial expressions recognition and the interaction between gender and expression processing.

Keywords: crying faces; smiling faces; eye movement; visual pattern; face gender (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:sagope:v:10:y:2020:i:2:p:2158244020923358

DOI: 10.1177/2158244020923358

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