Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science / Revue canadienne des sciences du comportement, Vol 58(4), Oct 2026, 278-286; doi:10.1037/cbs0000465
This study explored the phenomenology, developmental persistence, and generalizability of the still-face effect that typically manifests as infant distress in the presence of a temporarily unresponsive caregiver. Canadian undergraduates (N = 127) reported a greater sense of threat (unease, distrust, etc.) in response to a video simulation of a peer still-face induction versus a peer conversing without interruption. Threat responses to stillish faces characterized by restricted expressivity (via clown makeup, Parkinson’s disease, or botulinum [Botox] use) and still (inanimate) faces (ventriloquist dummy, doll) matched or exceeded “stopped” face responses. Higher anxious, but not avoidant, attachment predicted perceiving the non-neutral faces as more threatening; childhood anthropomorphizing tendencies predicted seeing the dummy specifically as more threatening. We argue that the classic infant still-face effect is a special case of reactivity to faces perceived as inscrutable because hard-to-read faces—especially those with eyes directed towards the perceiver—could mask potential harms. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)