This study assessed embodied simulation via electromyography (EMG) as participants first encoded emotionally ambiguous faces with emotion concepts (i.e., "angry,""happy") and later passively viewed the faces without the concepts. Memory for the faces was also measured. At initial encoding, participants displayed more smiling-related EMG activity in response to faces paired with "happy" than in response to faces paired with "angry." Later, in the absence of concepts, participants remembered happiness-encoded faces as happier than anger-encoded faces. Further, during passive reexposure to the ambiguous faces, participants' EMG indicated spontaneous emotion-specific mimicry, which in turn predicted memory bias. No specific EMG activity was observed when participants encoded or viewed faces with non-emotion-related valenced concepts, or when participants encoded or viewed Chinese ideographs. From an embodiment perspective, emotion simulation is a measure of what is currently perceived. Thus, these findings provide evidence of genuine concept-driven changes in emotion perception. More generally, the findings highlight embodiment's role in the representation and processing of emotional information.

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This research examined the concept of power in Japan, France, Germany, and the United States, as well as beliefs about the emotions persons in power tend to elicit in others and about powerful people's regulation (specifically, inhibition) of certain emotions. Definitions of power were assessed by examining the importance of two main components: control over self versus other and freedom of action vis-à-vis social norms. Beliefs about both positive (pride, admiration) and negative (jealousy, contempt) emotions were measured. Analyses revealed that the concept of power differed across countries and that the definitions of power as well as country of origin significantly predicted beliefs about the emotions that are elicited in others by powerful people and also the regulation of expression of emotion by powerful people.

A quasi-experimental ®eld study was conducted in order to test the generalizability of emotional response categorization (Niedenthal, Halberstadt, & Innes-Ker, 1999) to naturally induced emotions and to new stimuli in a different language (i.e. French). Individuals were recruited at two weddings to perform a triad task, which assesses the use of semantic and emotional relations in categorization. A manipulation check demonstrated that invitees were feeling intense happiness. Control participants, who reported feeling rather neutral, were recruited from among individuals walking down the street on an average day. Results replicated Niedenthal et al.'s (1999) original ®nding such that participants who were feeling strong emotion (happiness) used emotional equivalence to a signi®cantly greater degree than did participants in a neutral state.