Abstract:
The effects of amplifying and inhibiting facial expressions while viewing cartoons were studied by examining any differences in the evaluations of emotional experiences and funniness ratings of the cartoons for the two experimental groups (N=12/group) and the control group (N=12) who assumed no particular facial expressions. The subjects rated the cartoons as to their funniness, and they rated words describing their emotional experiences of watching the cartoons. The experimental groups also rated the difficulty of maintaining their facial expressions. The hypothesis predicted that the amplify group would score the cartoons as funnier and the words denoting -pleasant experiences as higher than the control group who would then score higher than tie inhibited subjects. This prediction was not supported by the study, possibly due to the short time the expressions were maintained or to the cognitive attribution of the facial expressions and any subsequent emotion to the experiment rather to any changes in emotion due to funny cartoons and consistent facial expressions.
