Facial Feedback Hypothesis: An Overview
The facial feedback hypothesis is a widely accepted theory that proposes facial expressions can influence a person’s emotional state. In other words, facial expressions can both reflect and influence one’s emotional experience (Weiner, 2016). This hypothesis was first introduced by Charles Darwin in the late 1800s (Fridlund, 1994) and has since been the subject of numerous studies in the fields of psychology and neuroscience.
The facial feedback hypothesis proposes that facial expressions are both a result of and a contributing factor to emotional experiences. In other words, facial expressions can both reflect and influence a person’s emotional state. For example, when a person smiles, it can both reflect and contribute to an emotional state of happiness. Similarly, when a person frowns, this facial expression can both reflect and contribute to an emotional state of sadness (Weiner, 2016).
The facial feedback hypothesis has been supported by a number of studies in the fields of psychology and neuroscience. For example, a study by Strack, Martin, and Stepper (1988) found that participants who were asked to hold a pen in their teeth, which induced a smile-like expression, reported a greater sense of happiness than those who were asked to hold the pen in their lips, which induced a frown-like expression. This suggests that the facial expression induced by the pen in the participants’ mouths had an effect on their emotional state.
Similarly, a study by Dimberg, Thunberg, and Elmehed (2000) found that when participants were exposed to happy and sad facial expressions, they had similar facial responses, including changes in facial muscle activity. This suggests that the facial expressions of others can influence our own facial expressions and emotional state.
In addition, a number of neuroimaging studies have found evidence to support the facial feedback hypothesis. For example, a study by Cacioppo, Berntson, and Nouriani (1992) found that when participants were exposed to facial expressions, there was activation in the orbitofrontal cortex of the brain, which is involved in the processing of emotional information. This suggests that facial expressions can influence our emotional process.
Overall, the facial feedback hypothesis is a widely accepted theory that proposes facial expressions can influence a person’s emotional state. This hypothesis has been supported by a number of studies in the fields of psychology and neuroscience, which suggests that facial expressions can both reflect and influence our emotional experiences.
References
Cacioppo, J. T., Berntson, G. G., & Nouriani, B. (1992). Electrophysiological evidence of the facial feedback hypothesis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63(5), 863-876.
Dimberg, U., Thunberg, M., & Elmehed, K. (2000). Unconscious facial reactions to emotional facial expressions. Psychological Science, 11(1), 86-89.
Fridlund, A. J. (1994). Human facial expression: An evolutionary view. San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
Strack, F., Martin, L. L., & Stepper, S. (1988). Inhibiting and facilitating conditions of the human smile: A nonobtrusive test of the facial feedback hypothesis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54(5), 768-777.
Weiner, S. S. (2016). The facial feedback hypothesis: Evidence and implications. Advances in Cognitive Psychology, 12(3), 163-177.