The role of emotion, gender and motion in face perception

Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je ispitati utjecaj emocionalnih izraza lica i pokreta na brzinu prepoznavanja spola lica. Prethodna istraživanja su pokazala da se ljuta ženska lica procesiraju sporije od muških ljutih lica, dok se sretna ženska lica procesiraju brže od sretnih muških lica - (Becker i sur., 2007; Larsen i Buss, 2008; Hess i sur., 2009). S druge strane, neka istraživanja su utvrdila da se samo ženska ljuta lica prepoznaju sporije od svih drugih (Švegar i sur., 2016). Pokret je uveden na temelju istraživanja Chena i Bargha (1999) koji su pokazali da pokret prema ispitaniku olakšava procesiranje pozitivnih riječi, dok pokret od ispitanika olakšava procesiranje negativnih riječi. Stoga, željeli smo ispitati hoće li se efekt induciranog pokreta dobiven pri leksičkom procesiranju pojaviti i pri procesiranju emocionalnih izraza lica. K tome, htjeli smo provjeriti i proširiti nalaze prethodnih istraživanja ispitivanjem individualnih razlika kao što su spol ispitanika, ekstraverzija i neuroticizam. Pokret približavanja je induciran postupnim povećavanjem, a pokret udaljavanja postupnim smanjivanjem fiksacijskog znaka (+++) nakon čega je uslijedila prezentacija fotografije emocionalnog izraza lica. U eksperimentu smo prezentirali muške i ženske emocionalne izraze lica ljutnje, straha, tuge, radosti i neutralnog, a zadatak ispitanika bio je što brže i što točnije odrediti spol prikazanog lica. Rezultati su pokazali da se spol lica prepoznaje najsporije i s najviše grešaka na ljutim licima, a najbrže i najtočnije na radosnim licima. Također, prepoznavanje spola na ženskim ljutim licima bilo je sporije i manje točno u odnosu na muška ljuta lica, dok je u ostalim emocionalnim uvjetima dobiveno obrnuto - prepoznavanje spola na ženskim licima je bilo brže i točnije u odnosu na muška lica. Osim toga, ispitanici su radili puno više grešaka prilikom prepoznavanja muških prestrašenih lica u odnosu na ženska prestrašena lica. Ukupno su žene bile brže u procjeni spola lica od muškaraca, dok je točnost bila podjednaka. Efekt induciranog pokreta nije dobiven, osim u analizi grešaka ekstremnih grupa na dimenziji neuroticizma, gdje su ispitanici s višim rezultatom na neuroticizmu radili više grešaka u uvjetu približavanja muških ljutih lica u odnosu na uvjet udaljavanja muških ljutih lica.The goal of this research was to examine the effects of facial expressions and motion on the speed of sex recognition. Prior research showed that sex recognition of female angry faces was significantly slower compared with sex recognition of male angry faces and that female happy faces are recognized faster than male happy faces (Becker et al., 2007; Larsen & Buss, 2008; Hess et al., 2009). However, some studies found this effect only for female angry faces (Švegar et al., 2016). In regards to motion, previous research discovered that automatic evaluation of stimulus as either positive or negative has immediate behavioral predispositions to approach or avoid it respectively (Chen & Bargh, 1999). Consequently, we aimed at discovering will the effect appear in the context of positive and negative facial expressions. Also, we aimed to replicate and extend the previous research by examining the role of individual differences such as the role of participants sex, extraversion, and neuroticism (Gray & McNaughton, 2003). A motion was induced by a fixation symbol (+++) which successively increased (approach) or decreased (avoidance) in size prior to every photograph. We presented facial stimuli of men and women displaying anger, fear, sadness, happiness and a control condition. Results showed that sex recognition of angry faces was the slowest and the least accurate while sex recognition of happy faces was the fastest and the most accurate. Also, sex recognition of angry females was slower and less accurate compared with angry males while in all other conditions it was the opposite – female faces were recognized faster and more accurate than male faces. Furthermore, the number of incorrect sex recognitions was much higher for frightened male faces then female faces. On all levels analysis, women were faster than men in sex recognition of facial expressions while no differences emerged for accuracy. Induced motion effect was not found except in error analysis for the extreme groups on neuroticism. Specifically, subjects with a higher score on neuroticism had more sex misclassifications for angry male faces after the motion of approach was induced compared with sex misclassifications for angry male faces after the motion of avoidance