A joint Japanese-English research project examining the temporal patterns of facial expressions with accompanying experiences.

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K14256
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 10040:Experimental psychology-related
• Research Institution: Institute of Physical and Chemical Research
• Principal Investigator: Namba Shushi 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 情報統合本部, 研究員 (20845961)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 表情 / 感情 / 驚き

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The distinctive expressive characteristics that differentiate facial expressions that are accompanied by experiences from intentionally created facial expressions that are not accompanied by experiences have not been fully understood. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the morphological features of facial expressions that are accompanied by experiences, the morphological features of facial expressions that are judged to be accompanied by experiences, and how observers interpret these expressions, through a joint research project between Japan and the United Kingdom. As a result, it was revealed that surprise facial expressions accompanied by experiences exhibit asymmetry in their facial reactions and have smaller inter-correlation than facial expressions that are pretending to be surprised. These research findings contribute to a better understanding of the temporal patterns of facial expressions that are accompanied by experiences.

Free Research Field

実験心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

「体験の伴う」表情について明らかにすることは，感情の理論を再構築するための基盤を提供する意味で学術的意義を持つ。従来の感情理論は，基本感情理論と呼ばれる感情と表情の対応を意図的に作られた表情に依拠して説明するモデル (e.g., Ekman, 1999) であった。そのため，「実際の感情が生じる場面」での説明力が希薄であり，その理論に依拠して作られた感情推定アルゴリズムなども失敗を余儀なくされてきた。本研究成果はそれら従来の問題に対して，「実際の感情体験場面で生じうる平均的な表情運動」を記述するものである。すなわち，より精度の高い感情推定アルゴリズムの開発に与する社会的意義も有している。