Evidence for distinct contributions of form and motion information to the recognition of emotions from body gestures

Abstract

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Abstract Expressions of Affect

“…It has been speculated that when combining form and movement, movement is used to distinguish between basic emotions, while form may complement motion and allows for the recognition of more specific emotions (Atkinson et al, 2007). These findings suggest a hierarchy among the two modalities movement and form.…”

“…Recent research evidences the involvement of and interaction with a variety of visual processing mechanisms, object recognition and salience, delegation of attention, and the mechanisms that generate emotions (Pessoa & Adolphs, 2010). Particularly relevant to our work is the separation between two major processing mechanisms: the extraction of configuration information, i.e., the relative positions and limitations of anatomical features of the human body and face (Atkinson et al, 2007;Lundqvist & Öhman, 2004), and the extraction of affectively essential features (Aronoff, 2006;Lundqvist & Öhman, 2004). Though essentially a separate process, it is thought that when configuration information is present, it interacts with the extracted essential features, and weighs them according to a specific hierarchical structure (Lundqvist & Öhman, 2004).…”

Robust anger: Recognition of deteriorated dynamic bodily emotion expressions

“…These findings were replicated using very abstract stimuli, such as downward versus upward pointing "V" signs, suggesting that these simple geometric forms are able to activate behavioral responses similar to the response to threats (Larson, Aronoff, & Stearns, 2007). With regard to visual abstractions of reallife captured bodily expression, several experiments showed that humans need as little as 12 motioncaptured point-lights to recognise emotions accurately above chance level (Atkinson, Dittrick, Gemmell, & Young, 2004;Atkinson, Tunstall, & Dittrich, 2007;Pollick, Paterson, Bruderlin, & Sanford, 2001). However, these studies never investigated the effect of gradual visual degradation on expression recognition.…”

Interaction takes two: Typical adults exhibit mind-blindness towards those with autism spectrum disorder.

“…Thus, in the same way that perception of a smile prompts the automatic attribution of happiness, perception of fast and accelerated movements, for example, prompt the attribution of anger (e.g. Atkinson, Tunstall, & Dittrich, 2007).…”