188C. Why Aren't Neutral Faces Neutral?

Lead Presenter(s)

Aaron Danielle Ball

Abstract or Description

Students: A. Danielle Ball & Parker Duncan

Mentors: Andrew Langbehn & Dr. Jeff Larsen

A recent study found that people expressing neutral faces are perceived as feeling negative. One possibility is that participants may have inferred that the actors were making eye contact, and Americans expect a positive facial expression during eye contact due to cultural norms. To examine this possibility, in Study 1, we presented participants with a range of facial expressions from sad to happy and asked them which expressions they would expect if the actor was said to have made or not made eye contact with them. As predicted, in the eye contact condition, participants expected a slightly positive facial expression and a neutral facial expression in the no eye contact condition. In Study 2, we presented participants with two photos of each actor making a neutral facial expression: one oriented toward (eye contact) and another away (no eye contact) from the camera. Actors expressing a neutral facial expression were perceived as feeling negative. Further, actors making a neutral facial expression were seen as feeling more negative when making eye contact. Our research indicates that while neutral facial expressions are perceived as negative, cultural norms in the United States lead neutral faces to be perceived as more negative during eye contact.

Mentor

Andrew Langbehn, Dr. Jeff Larsen