The purpose of this study was to determine which side of the face expressed emotions more intensely in children. Another aspect of the study was to examine differences between posed and spontaneous expressions. Participants were asked to rate fourteen different photographs according to which half of the face showed more emotion. Results suggest that there is not a significant difference between the posed and spontaneous photographs. In addition, the results contradict the findings of other studies that suggest the left side of the face is more expressive than the right side of the face.
As suggested by Werner Wolff (1933, 1943), the right side of the face is more consciously controlled in its expressiveness than the left side of the face, which is more spontaneous in its expressive movements. In addition, Cacioppo and Petty (1981) have indicated that voluntarily shaped facial expressions are more evident on the right of the face, whereas spontaneous expressions are more apparent on the left side of the face. According to Sackheim et al., (1978) greater intensity of emotional expression on the left side of the face points to greater right hemispheric involvement in the production of emotional expression. If the right hemisphere of the brain is dominant in emotional expression, it is expected that the left side of the face should reveal more emotional intensity than the right side of the face.
This brief, week-long study was designed to examine the relationship between facial asymmetry and the dominance of each brain hemisphere, and also to test whether a difference exists between deliberately posed and spontaneous expressions of emotions. Children were selected for the visual stimuli. An infant was chosen to represent spontaneous expressions of emotion because at that stage of development expressions cannot be consciously manipulated. A six-year-old was selected to represent deliberately posed expressions of emotion because at that stage of development the child can effectively control facial expressions, as was demonstrated in the 1979 study conducted by Campos et. al.
The participants of the study were 26 Alma College students, 13 males and 13 females. SuperLab v1.68 (1994) computer testing software was used for data acquisition on a Macintosh computer. The visual stimuli consisted of 14 frontal photographs, 7 deliberately posed expressions of a 6-year-old and 7 spontaneous expressions of a 4 1/2 month-old infant. The expressions included mischief, disgust, pride, happiness, shock, sadness, and no emotion. The pictures were cut symmetrically down the face. The left side of the face was placed on the left side of the Macintosh computer screen while the right side was placed on the right (see Figures 1 and 2).
Figure 1: Spontaneous expression of happiness of a 4 1/2 month old.
Figure 2: Posed expression of pride of a 6-year-old.
Photographs were randomly displayed one after another. Participants were instructed to indicate which half of the face they felt showed more emotion. The participants were asked to press 0 if they felt the left side of the face appeared to be more expressive, and 1 if the right side of the face appeared to be more expressive. Participants were also given the opportunity to press the space bar if they believed both halves of the face were equal in expression. The Macintosh computer, using the SuperLab program, recorded the responses and the reaction time.
The right side of the face was reported as being more emotionally expressive than the left side of the face. This was true for both the posed and the spontaneous photographs (see Figure 3).
Figure 3: Comparing Emotional Intensity of the Left and Right Sides of the Face According to the Number of Times Chosen Note: Participants were also given the opportunity to report equal amount of emotional intensity between the left and the right sides of the face, as indicated with the no difference column. Also note that the exact numbers are in parenthesis above the columns.
The difference in reaction time between the posed and spontaneous photographs, and the difference between the reaction times of males and females did not prove to be significant
The results of this study are contrary to our hypothesis that the left side of the face should reveal more emotional intensity because the right brain hemisphere is thought to be more dominant in emotional expression. The responses to the posed and spontaneous photographs in this study suggest that the right side of the face revealed more expression. One particular problem of this study may be the relatively small range of emotions. A wider range of more intense emotions may have led to significant results. The results of this study may conflict with the results of other similar studies because of the use of children as visual stimuli rather than adults. It is unknown if the laterality of the emotions of children differs from that of the laterality of adults.
Abboud, Hisham A. (1994) SuperLab v1.68 (computer program) Cedrus Corp.
Cacioppo, J. T., Petty, R. E. (1981). Lateral asymmetry in the expression of cognition and emotion. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 7, 333 341.
Campos, Barrett, Lamb, Goldsmith, and Stenberg (1995). The facial expression of emotion in infancy. Socioemotional Development, 787-800.
Gorman, Christine. (1995). How gender may bend your thinking. Time, July 17, 51.
Sackheim, H. A., Gur, R. C., and Saucy, M.C. (1978). Emotions are expressed more intensely on the left side of the face. Science, 202, 432-434.
Wolff, W. (1933). The experimental study of forms of expression. Character and Person, 2, 168-173 Cited in Sackeim, H.A., Gur, R.C. (1978). Lateral asymmetry in intensity of emotional expression. Neuropsychologia, 16, 473-481.
Wolff, W. (1943). The Expression of Personality. New York: Harper & Row.
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