What the face displays: Mapping 28 emotions conveyed by naturalistic expression.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional perceptual rating study (level assigned by design analogy for non-clinical behavioral research)
PubMed 31204816 · doi:10.1037/amp0000488
What was done
Participants (N = 1,794; 940 female, ages 18–76 years) evaluated 1,500 photographs of naturalistic facial-bodily expressions. Expressions were assessed across emotion categories, appraisals, free response, and ecological validity to map the taxonomic structure of emotion recognition.
What was found
Facial and bodily expressions reliably signaled at least 28 distinct categories of emotion. Emotion categories organized recognition more strongly than appraisals such as valence and arousal, though categories were bridged by smooth, continuous gradients rather than existing as discrete entities. The abstract does not report specific numerical test statistics or effect sizes.
Why it matters
This work expands the mapped space of recognizable human emotion expressions from traditional low-dimensional or 6-basic-emotion models into a high-dimensional taxonomy of 28 states.
Limits
The abstract provides no exact statistical metrics or effect sizes. Ratings were based on static photographs rather than dynamic social interactions, and cultural or geographic demographics of the raters and stimuli were not detailed.
Cited by
- supports Empirical research indicates there are approximately 20 distinct facial expressions and emotional states in the human mind.