Exploring the explicit knowledge of the Duchenne marker and asymmetry in smile judgment
Date
2015-09-18
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Abstract
Research has shown that individuals are sensitive to the activation of the orbicularis
oculi muscle (Duchenne marker) and are able to detect asymmetry. It has been proposed that
the differences in smile judgment performance might be explained by one’s explicit
knowledge regarding the morphological cues. The goal of the study was to explore
individuals’ explicit knowledge of the Duchenne marker and asymmetry in smile judgment
tasks. The present study also employed the Likert scale to examine the possible effect of
response options on smile judgment tasks. Participants also were asked to judge both the
happiness and authenticity of smiles. Three types of smiles (symmetrical Duchenne, non-
Duchenne and asymmetrical) were presented for the smile judgment task. Participants were
also asked to indicate if they noticed symmetrical differences and cues in certain facial
regions. Results showed that the symmetrical Duchenne smiles were judged as being the
most happy and authentic. This was followed by the non-Duchenne smiles while the
asymmetrical smiles were judged as being the least happy and authentic. This finding was
similar to that found in a previous study that employed the Likert scale, suggesting the
possible influence of response options on smile judgment. Similar results were obtained for
both the happiness and authenticity judgment conditions, implying that wording only had a
minor influence on smile judgment. Results also revealed that participants had good explicit
knowledge about the morphological cues but it was not perfect. Therefore, the results
suggested that explicit knowledge on its own is not sufficient to explain smile judgment
performance.
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Keywords
Authenticity of smiles, Explicit knowledge, Response options, Instructional effects