7/27/2019 Wade Poster
1/1
Emotional Contagion and Facial Expressions
Introduction
The purpose of this study is examine how
factors such as gender and companionship can
affect smiling and other nonverbal facial
expressions. Previous studies have indicated
that women smile more often than men Morse
(1982), and that people do not only naturally
mimic other peoples smiles, but feel emotions
of happiness (Sonnby-Borgstrm, 2002).
Hypotheses
This first hypothesis, derived from Morse
(1982), claims that women smile more often
than men.
The second hypothesis claims that people do
not only naturally mimic other peoples smiles,
but feel emotions of happiness (Sonnby-
Borgstrm, 2002).
Method
Participants
The participants were 30 undergraduatecollege students ranging
from ages 18-24.
15 females and 15 males.
Procedure
Participants were tested in a secluded testing
room on campus at Queens University of
Charlotte .
.Participants were placed in pairs in either the
men-men group (N=10), women-women group
(N=10), or the men-women group (N=10).
They were shown a series of three smilingpictures, three sad
pictures, and three angry
pictures. After viewing each picture the
participants facial expressions were recorded
as either; (1) no smile, (2) half-smile, (3) full
smile.
Participants also completed a questionnaire
that measured their emotional levels of
happiness, sadness, and anger after each
picture.
Results
The hypotheses that was supported
claimed that smiling at someone will cause
that person to smile back, and that they will
experience feelings of happiness as well.
Participants smiled more often and rated
their feelings of happiness as higher when
looking at the smiling pictures (M=11.7667),
compared to the angry pictures (M=6.000)
and sad pictures (M=4.000). The three
smiling pictures also received the highest
ratings of happiness (M=4.100, SD=.662,M=4.200, SD=.664, M=
3.467, SD= .937), (F
(1,29)=122.92, p < .0001).
There was no significant difference in
gender. Most smiling was in the girl-girl
group (M=14.300), followed by the guy-guy
group (M=14.100), and the guy-girl group
(M=11.600).
ConclusionFrom the study I can conclude that smiling
at someone will not only cause them to
smile back, but they will feel emotions of
happiness as well. When participants
viewed the three smiling pictures, they not
only smiled in response but they reported
greater feelings of happiness when
compared to the angry and sad pictures.
Although there was a slight difference in
gender, it was not significant enough tosupport the hypothesis
that women smile
more often than men. A possible confound
in the study was that individuals may have
been smiling at something other than the
picture, or may have felt uncomfortable
during the testing. Participants who were
with a companion that they knew were
much more expressive, especially when the
participants were familiar with theexperimenter.
Taylor Wade
Queens University of CharlotteAngry Pictures
Sad Pictures
Smiling Pictures
