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Single camera can capture high quality facial performance

A single camera can capture high-quality facial performance using a new method developed by Disney Research, which takes into account the underlying facial anatomy and skin thickness. This approach allows for robust and accurate tracking of facial expressions without requiring multiple cameras or extensive pre-computed facial motions.

Emotion detector

A computer algorithm can recognize human emotions with high accuracy, transferring players' emotions to avatars or communicating with other players. The emotion detector system uses mathematical processing to analyze eyebrow position, eye openness, and mouth shape to correlate with basic human emotions.

SourceInderscience Publishers·JournalInternational Journal of Computational Vision and Robotics·DateApr 27, 2016

Asymmetry of an emotion

A study found that individuals with right- or left-sided facial hemiparesis have difficulty interpreting emotions, particularly when the expression starts on the paralyzed side. Facial mimicry, which helps understand emotions, is also affected by asymmetry, suggesting a lateralized and anatomical basis for this phenomenon.

SourceInternational School of Advanced Studies (SISSA)·JournalJAMA Facial Plastic Surgery·DateMar 3, 2016

Why smiles (and frowns) are contagious

Research reveals that humans mirror others' faces to recognize and share emotions. This phenomenon is linked to social disorders like autism, where facial expression recognition can be impaired. Understanding sensorimotor simulation may help treat related conditions.

SourceCell Press·JournalTrends in Cognitive Sciences·DateFeb 11, 2016

Changing faces: We can look more trustworthy, but not more competent, NYU research finds

Researchers at New York University found that facial cues conveying trustworthiness are malleable, while those conveying competence and ability are less so. They conducted four experiments to test this theory, finding that subjects perceived happier faces as more trustworthy and angrier faces as more untrustworthy.

SourceNew York University·JournalPersonality and Social Psychology Bulletin·DateJun 18, 2015

New emotion recognition model

Researchers at Ruhr-University Bochum propose a new model for emotion recognition, suggesting that humans can directly recognize emotions through pattern recognition. Even with sparse clues, humans can identify typical emotion patterns, including physiological reactions and facial expressions.

SourceRuhr-University Bochum·JournalMind & Language·DateApr 8, 2015

The body's emotions

A new study demonstrates that people with multiple sclerosis often have trouble recognizing emotions conveyed by facial expressions, and now shows similar difficulties with emotions expressed through body posture. The research suggests that this difficulty is unrelated to identifying one's own emotions, a disorder known as alexithymia.

SourceInternational School of Advanced Studies (SISSA)·JournalJournal of the International Neuropsychological Society·DateNov 10, 2014

Is empathy in humans and apes actually different?

Researchers directly compared human and bonobo yawn contagion, finding that strong relationships matter more than species for empathic responses. Humans respond more frequently to friends and kin, while bonobos do so equally, challenging the assumption that humans are more empathetic.

SourcePeerJ·JournalPeerJ·DateAug 12, 2014

Horses communicate with their eyes and mobile ears

Researchers found that horses rely on facial expressions, particularly eye and ear positions, to gauge attention and locate food. The study's results suggest individual facial features may be important in horse communication, contradicting earlier notions about animals with eyes to the sides of their heads.

SourceCell Press·JournalCurrent Biology·DateAug 4, 2014

Same face, many first impressions

Researchers found that slight variations in facial expressions can lead to varied first impressions, challenging the assumption that face images accurately represent an individual's personality. The study suggests that online images can have unintended consequences on how others perceive us.

SourceAssociation for Psychological Science·JournalPsychological Science·DateJun 2, 2014

'Let it go,' but not in the boardroom

Researchers found that individuals cooperated more with computer counterparts expressing positive emotions after cooperation and negative emotions after exploitation. This study highlights the importance of managing facial expressions in business interactions to achieve cooperation.

SourceUSC Marshall School of Business·JournalJournal of Personality and Social Psychology·DateApr 28, 2014

Computer maps 21 distinct emotional expressions -- even 'happily disgusted'

Researchers at Ohio State University have developed a computational model that maps 21 distinct emotional expressions, including compound emotions like 'happily surprised' or 'sadly angry'. This breakthrough enables precise tracking of emotion in the brain and has potential applications in treating disorders such as PTSD or autism.

SourceOhio State University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateMar 31, 2014

Eyes are windows to the soul -- and evolution

A Cornell University neuroscientist's study finds that human facial expressions arose from universal, adaptive reactions to environmental stimuli. The findings suggest that emotional responses influence vision at the earliest moments of visual encoding, leading to contrasting eye movements that filter our reality.

SourceCornell University·JournalPsychological Science·DateMar 20, 2014

Your face says it all? Not so fast

A new study disputes the idea that humans experience six basic emotions universally, citing context-dependent expression recognition. Researchers found that facial expressions and vocalizations were not consistently labeled with emotion words across cultures, suggesting cultural categories may be at play.

SourceNortheastern University·JournalPsychological Science·DateMar 5, 2014

Video killed the interview star

Researchers at McMaster University found that video conferencing in job interviews can lead to less likable candidates and lower ratings for interviewers. The study suggests that face-to-face interviews are essential for accurate assessments and positive evaluations.

SourceMcMaster University·JournalManagement Decision·DateJul 29, 2013

Pacifiers may have emotional consequences for boys

Researchers found that heavy pacifier use in young children is linked to poor emotional maturity and lower perspective-taking scores. The study suggests that girls may be less affected due to societal expectations of emotional sophistication. Parents are advised to limit pacifier use to promote healthy emotional development.

SourceUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison·JournalBasic and Applied Social Psychology·DateSep 18, 2012

Your left side is your best side

Researchers found that images of the left side of the face are rated as more pleasant than those of the right side, possibly due to increased emotion intensity. The study also showed a strong preference for left-sided portraits in real-life photographs and confirmation from pupil size measurements.

SourceSpringer·JournalExperimental Brain Research·DateApr 20, 2012

Why looks can be deceiving

Researchers at McGill University have identified two brain regions critical for recognizing facial expressions and emotions. Damage to these areas can lead to difficulties in understanding social signals, impacting daily life.

SourceMcGill University·JournalCerebral Cortex·DateFeb 13, 2012

What are emotion expressions for?

The study suggests that facial expressions evolved as a physiological response to threats, but also took on social roles in human evolution. The authors propose the concept of 'exaptation' and 'ritualization,' where original functions changed over time to become social signals.

SourceAssociation for Psychological Science·JournalCurrent Directions in Psychological Science·DateDec 23, 2011

Don't make that face at me!

A new study published in Biological Psychiatry suggests that the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) is a brain region that helps people control their emotional reactions to negative facial expressions from their romantic partners. The LPFC activity was found to predict self-regulation after an interpersonal conflict in daily life.

SourceElsevier·JournalBiological Psychiatry·DateMar 2, 2010