All in the first glance: first fixation predicts individual differences in valence bias
Year: 2016
Type: article
Abstract: Maital Netaa*, Tien T. Tonga, Monica L. Rosena, Alex Enersena, M. Justin Kimb & Michael D. Doddaa Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USAb Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USACONTACT Maital Neta [email protected] data for this article can be accessed at 10.1080/02699931.2016.1152231.ABSTRACTSurprised expressions are interpreted as negative by some people, and as positive by others. When compared to fearful expressions, which are consistently rated as negative, surprise and fear share similar morphological structures (e.g. widened eyes), but these similarities are primarily in the upper part of the face (eyes). We hypothesised, then, that individuals would be more likely to interpret surprise positively when fixating faster to the lower part of the face (mouth). Participants rated surprised and fearful faces as either positive or negative while eye movements were recorded. Positive ratings of surprise were associated with longer fixation on the mouth than negative ratings. There were also individual differences in fixation patterns, with individuals who fixated the mouth earlier exhibiting increased positive ratings. These findings suggest that there are meaningful individual differences in how people process faces.
Source: Cognition & Emotion
Institutions: University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Dartmouth College
Language: English
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2293956595