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Interpreting emotions: A matter of confidence

A recent study by UNIGE and HUG researchers found that people's confidence in interpreting others' emotions is often skewed by their personal experiences. The study used functional MRI to examine brain activity during emotional recognition, revealing that areas of the brain linked to autobiographical memory play a key role in determini...

SourceUniversité de Genève·JournalSocial Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience·DateDec 21, 2018

Goats prefer happy people

A new study found that goats can differentiate between positive and negative human facial expressions and prefer to interact with the former. The researchers observed that goats spent more time approaching images of happy faces than angry ones, suggesting a preference for positive emotions.

SourceQueen Mary University of London·JournalRoyal Society Open Science·DateAug 28, 2018

Talking to an android

Researchers from Kyoto University and ATR upgraded the interaction system for conversational android ERICA, giving her more dynamic speaking skills. The team focused on developing a system for 'attentive listening', allowing ERICA to engage in fluid dialogue with human subjects.

How do horses read human emotional cues?

Researchers found that horses can read human emotional cues through facial expressions and voice tones, regardless of familiarity. They used the expectancy violation method to investigate this phenomenon and observed significant responses in both familiar and unfamiliar settings.

SourceHokkaido University·JournalScientific Reports·DateJun 21, 2018

The language of facial expressions

A study by University of Miami Professor Daniel Messinger and colleagues found that eye wrinkles around the eyes, known as the Duchenne marker, convey more intense and sincere emotions across multiple facial expressions. Participants rated Duchenne smiles and sad expressions as more sincere and intense than non-Duchenne expressions.

SourceUniversity of Miami·JournalEmotion·DateJun 11, 2018

Strategic expression

A psychology professor's new paper suggests that facial expressions are used to achieve specific social outcomes, rather than revealing emotions. The study finds that certain expressions serve as 'social tools' in behavioral negotiation, and can be used to subdue or intimidate others.

SourceUniversity of California - Santa Barbara·JournalTrends in Cognitive Sciences·DateMar 27, 2018

At first blush, you look happy -- or sad, or angry

A groundbreaking study found that people can correctly identify others' feelings up to 75% of the time by analyzing subtle changes in blood flow color around the nose, eyebrows, cheeks, or chin. Computer algorithms developed from the research accurately recognize human emotion via face color with up to 90% accuracy.

SourceOhio State University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateMar 19, 2018

Dogs mouth-lick to communicate with angry humans

Researchers found that dogs exhibit mouth-licking behavior in response to visually perceived anger, suggesting a form of communication with humans. The study suggests that domestication may have selected this behavioral trait, indicating dogs' potential understanding of emotional information.

SourceUniversity of Lincoln·JournalBehavioural Processes·DateNov 28, 2017

Dogs are more expressive when someone is looking

New research from the University of Portsmouth found that dogs produce more facial expressions when humans are looking at them. The study, led by Dr Juliane Kaminski, showed that dogs use these expressions to communicate with humans and not just due to excitement. Brow raising was the most commonly used expression in this research.

SourceUniversity of Portsmouth·JournalScientific Reports·DateOct 19, 2017

New facial recognition findings could help develop new treatments for conduct disorder

Researchers found that teenage girls and boys with severe antisocial behavior have difficulty recognizing facial expressions, particularly those showing negative emotions. The study suggests that boys with Conduct Disorder may need more comprehensive interventions than girls due to their unique challenges in emotion recognition.

SourceUniversity of Bath·JournalJournal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry·DateSep 7, 2017

Neural nets model audience reactions to movies

A new technique called factorized variational autoencoders (FVAEs) uses neural networks to predict a viewer's facial expressions for the remainder of the movie after observing an audience member for just a few minutes. The approach demonstrated impressive accuracy in predicting reactions, outperforming conventional methods.

Why chess masters win

Cognitive scientists at Bielefeld University have been investigating the secret of successful chess players by recording players' eye movements and facial expressions. The research group found that chess experts concentrate on main chess pieces and control their attention more efficiently than novices.

Effect of facial expression on emotional state not replicated in multilab study

A coordinated replication effort across 17 labs failed to replicate the 1988 study suggesting that facial expressions can trigger emotional reactions. The multilab study used a standardized protocol with over 1,900 participants but found no evidence that inducing particular facial expressions affected their emotional state.

SourceAssociation for Psychological Science·JournalPerspectives on Psychological Science·DateOct 27, 2016

Smiling baby monkeys and the roots of laughter

Researchers at Kyoto University observed spontaneous smiles in newborn Japanese macaques, suggesting that this behavior has been present for over 30 million years. These early smiles are believed to be related to the development of cheek muscles, enabling the production of real smiles and laughter.

SourceKyoto University·JournalPrimates·DateAug 4, 2016