The Effect Of Facial Feedback On Micro-Expression Recognition

In situations in which individuals are motivated to conceal or repress their true emotions, their facial expressions may leak despite their efforts to conceal them. These leakages can be very useful for deception detection and many of these leakages are manifested in the form of micro-expressions. However, it is difficult for human to detect micro-expressions. Previous studies have shown that facial expression feedback information is an effective immanent clue to expression recognition. As a special form of human facial expression, the effect of facial feedback on micro-expression recognition process is still left unknown to researches. The answer to this question, which will deepen researcher’s understanding to micro-expression recognition process, will provides a theoretical foundation for applying micro-expression in clinical, judicial, anti-terrorism and other fields.This study employs two experiments to explore the effect of facial feedback on micro-expression recognition. In Experiment1, the researcher investigates the effect of enhanced facial feedback on micro-expression recognition by intensifying the impedance of facial muscles. In Experiment2, the researcher studies the effect of inhibiting facial feedback on micro-expression recognition by inhibiting the muscles around mouth.The results shows that enhancing facial feedback can improve the accuracy of micro-expression recognition for sadness and happiness(in a condition of short time presentation,50ms), but not for surprise, anger, disgust and fear. Moreover, inhibiting facial feedback reduces the accuracy" of micro-expression recognition for surprise and disgust (in a condition of moderate time presentation,150ms), but not for sadness, anger, fear and happiness. These findings partially support the emotional perception simulation model, which suggests that people can spontaneously imitate perceived micro-expression and distinguish different micro-expression by facial feedback information obtained from imitation. This process is similar to the process of recognizing normal expression, which hints that micro-expression and normal expression might share the same recognition mechanism.This study deepens researches of micro-expression recognition process and mechanism, and lays theoretical ground for studying micro-expression in practical area.