Automatic facial coding versus electromyography of mimicked, passive, and inhibited facial response to emotional faces

Decoding someone's facial expressions provides insights into his or her emotional experience. Recently, Automatic Facial Coding (AFC) software has been developed to provide measurements of expressions. Previous studies provided first evidence for the sensitivity such systems detect responses in study participants. In present experiment, we set out generalise these results affective as they can occur variable social interactions. Thus, presented (happy, neutral, angry) and instructed participants (N = 64) either actively mimic, look at them passively (n 21), inhibit their own reaction 22). A video stream AFC an electromyogram (EMG) zygomaticus corrugator muscles were registered continuously. mimicking condition, both EMG differentiated well between response different pictures. passive viewing inhibition condition did not changes whereas was still highly sensitive. Although only is sensitive when intend conceal reactions, data extend previous findings that a promising tool detection intense reaction.