Abstract
Emotional facial expressions are powerful social cues. Here we investigated how emotional expression affects the interpretation
of eye gaze direction. Fifty-two observers judged where faces were looking by moving a slider on a measuring bar to the respective
position. The faces displayed either an angry, happy, fearful or a neutral expression and were looking either straight at
the observer, or were rotated 2°, 4°, 6° or 8° to the left and right. We found that happy faces were interpreted as directed
closer to the observer, while fearful and angry faces were interpreted as directed further away. Judgments were most accurate
for neutral faces, followed by happy, angry and fearful faces. These findings are discussed on the background of the “self-referential
positivity bias”, suggesting that happy faces are preferably interpreted as directed towards the self while negative emotions
are interpreted as directed further away.
of eye gaze direction. Fifty-two observers judged where faces were looking by moving a slider on a measuring bar to the respective
position. The faces displayed either an angry, happy, fearful or a neutral expression and were looking either straight at
the observer, or were rotated 2°, 4°, 6° or 8° to the left and right. We found that happy faces were interpreted as directed
closer to the observer, while fearful and angry faces were interpreted as directed further away. Judgments were most accurate
for neutral faces, followed by happy, angry and fearful faces. These findings are discussed on the background of the “self-referential
positivity bias”, suggesting that happy faces are preferably interpreted as directed towards the self while negative emotions
are interpreted as directed further away.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category Original Paper
- Pages 1-8
- DOI 10.1007/s11031-012-9295-4
- Authors
- Janek S. Lobmaier, Department of Psychology, University of Bern, Muesmattstrasse 45, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
- Matthias Hartmann, Department of Psychology, University of Bern, Muesmattstrasse 45, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
- Andreas J. Volz, Department of Psychology, University of Bern, Muesmattstrasse 45, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
- Fred W. Mast, Department of Psychology, University of Bern, Muesmattstrasse 45, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
- Journal Motivation and Emotion
- Online ISSN 1573-6644
- Print ISSN 0146-7239