Gaze Dynamics in the Recognition of Facial Expressions of Emotion. (August 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Barabanschikov, Vladimir A.
• Other Names: Wade Nicholas J. guest-editor.; Rozhkova Galina I. guest-editor.; Belopolsky Victor I. guest-editor.; Paramei Galina V. guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Perception. Volume 44:Number 8/9(2015)
• Page Start: 1007
• Page End: 1019
• Publication Date: 2015-08
• Subjects: perception of facial expressions -- basic emotions -- weak and strong expressions -- dominance of face parts -- recognition of emotional state -- facial features of expression -- eye tracking -- localization and duration of fixations -- scanpaths -- oculomotor activity patterns; Perception -- Periodicals; Perception -- Periodicals; Perception; Periodicals; 153.705
• DOI: 10.1177/0301006615594942
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0301-0066

Abstract

We studied preferably fixated parts and features of human face in the process of recognition of facial expressions of emotion. Photographs of facial expressions were used. Participants were to categorize these as basic emotions; during this process, eye movements were registered. It was found that variation in the intensity of an expression is mirrored in accuracy of emotion recognition; it was also reflected by several indices of oculomotor function: duration of inspection of certain areas of the face, its upper and bottom or right parts, right and left sides; location, number and duration of fixations, viewing trajectory. In particular, for low-intensity expressions, right side of the face was found to be attended predominantly (right-side dominance); the right-side dominance effect, was, however, absent for expressions of high intensity. For both low- and high-intensity expressions, upper face part was predominantly fixated, though with greater fixation of high-intensity expressions. The majority of trials (70%), in line with findings in previous studies, revealed a V-shaped pattern of inspection trajectory. No relationship, between accuracy of recognition of emotional expressions, was found, though, with either location and duration of fixations or pattern of gaze directedness in the face.