Context-Dependent Categorical Perception of Surprise. (March 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cheal, Jenna L; Rutherford, M D
• Is Part Of: Perception. Volume 42:Number 3(2013)
• Page Start: 294
• Page End: 301
• Publication Date: 2013-03
• Subjects: surprise -- context-dependent -- categorical perception -- threat; Perception -- Periodicals; Perception -- Periodicals; Perception; Periodicals; 153.705
• DOI: 10.1068/p7130
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0301-0066

Abstract

Evidence regarding the categorical perception of surprise facial expressions has been equivocal. Surprise is inherently ambiguous with respect to valence: it could be positive or negative. If this ambiguity interferes with categorical perception, disambiguating the valence might facilitate categorical perception. Participants identified and discriminated images that were selected from expression continua: happy – fear, surprise – fear, happy – surprise. Half were presented with a context for the surprise expressions indicating positive or negative valence. Both groups had a typical identification curve, but discrimination performance was better predicted by identification in the context condition for happy – fear and surprise – fear continua, suggesting that categorical perception was facilitated by the disambiguating context.