Children's and Adults' Knowledge of the Distinction Between Enjoyment and Nonenjoyment Smiles

Journal of nonverbal Behavior, 26 ,(2): 83-108, Summer 2002

Children's and Adults' Knowledge of the Distinction Between Enjoyment and Nonenjoyment Smiles*

Pierre Gosselin, School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, BO 450, Stn A, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1N 6N5;
pgosseli@uottawa.ca
Mélanie Perron, University of Ottawa
Mélanie Legault, University of Ottawa
Patrizia Campanella, University of Ottawa

Children's and adults' knowledge of the distinction between enjoyment and nonenjoyment smiles was investigated by presenting participants with short video excerpts of smiles prepared in accordance with the Facial Action Coding System (Ekman & Friesen, 1978). Enjoyment smiles differed from nonenjoyment smiles by greater symmetry and by appearance changes in the eye region produced by the orbicularis oculi action. The results indicate that 9- and 10-year-old children and adults were sensitive to the appearance changes produced in the eye region, but only when they could view the complete temporal dynamic of the smiles. No evidence of sensitivity was found for the level of asymmetry of the smiles, and no evidence of sensitivity for either of the markers was found in 6- and 7-year-old children.

Keywords
emotion, facial expression, perception, development, enjoyment

Article ID: 374965
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* Reproduced with permission of Copyright Service of Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Body Language Linguaggio del Corpo Langage du Corps
Journal of nonverbal Behavior, 26 ,(2): 83-108, Summer 2002 Children's and Adults' Knowledge of the Distinction Between Enjoyment and Nonenjoyment Smiles* Pierre Gosselin, School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, BO 450, Stn A, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1N 6N5; pgosseli@uottawa.ca Mélanie Perron, University of Ottawa Mélanie Legault, University of Ottawa Patrizia Campanella, University of Ottawa Children's and adults' knowledge of the distinction between enjoyment and nonenjoyment smiles was investigated by presenting participants with short video excerpts of smiles prepared in accordance with the Facial Action Coding System (Ekman & Friesen, 1978). Enjoyment smiles differed from nonenjoyment smiles by greater symmetry and by appearance changes in the eye region produced by the orbicularis oculi action. The results indicate that 9- and 10-year-old children and adults were sensitive to the appearance changes produced in the eye region, but only when they could view the complete temporal dynamic of the smiles. No evidence of sensitivity was found for the level of asymmetry of the smiles, and no evidence of sensitivity for either of the markers was found in 6- and 7-year-old children. Keywords emotion, facial expression, perception, development, enjoyment Article ID: 374965 ………………………………………… * Reproduced with permission of Copyright Service of Kluwer Academic Publishers.