Facial expression analyses in sports and its application

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K19729
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 59:Sports sciences, physical education, health sciences, and related fields
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Kudo Kazutoshi 東京大学, 大学院総合文化研究科, 准教授 (30302813)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 中澤 公孝 東京大学, 大学院総合文化研究科, 教授 (90360677) ; 進矢 正宏 広島大学, 総合科学研究科, 准教授 (90733452)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-06-29 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 顔表情 / 運動スキル / 眼球運動 / トレンド除去相互相関解析

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Facial movements and facial expressions, including gazing, blinking, and eye movement, can serve as a frame of reference for perceiving the environment in sports, as well as an element of body expression in dance and theater. In the present study, we examined the effects of head and body coordination pattern characteristics on the differences in proficiency, pupil diameter change during a cognitive motor task, and the effects of makeup on other-perception and self-perception. These studies have shown that facial expressions, including eye direction and pupil diameter, show unique coordination patterns in skilled subjects and are indices that reflect the psychological state of the actor, and that changing facial expressions can create a positive psychological state during competition. These findings indicates that facial expressions can be an effective means of intervention to improve physical performance.

Free Research Field

スポーツ科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、顔身体協調パターン特性の熟達差、認知運動課題実施時の瞳孔径変化、および化粧が他者認知および対自認知に及ぼす影響について検討した。これら一連の研究により，眼球の向きや瞳孔径を含めた顔表情は熟練者において固有の協調パターンを示し，行為者の心理状態を反映する指標となり，顔表情を変化させることによって競技時においてもポジティブな心理状態を作り出すことが可能になることが示唆された．