Expressing fear enhances sensory acquisition

Abstract

It has been proposed that facial expression production originates in sensory regulation. Here we demonstrate that facial expressions of fear are configured to enhance sensory acquisition. A statistical model of expression appearance revealed that fear and disgust expressions have opposite shape and surface reflectance features. We hypothesized that this reflects a fundamental antagonism serving to augment versus diminish sensory exposure. In keeping with this hypothesis, when subjects posed expressions of fear, they had a subjectively larger visual field, faster eye movements during target localization and an increase in nasal volume and air velocity during inspiration. The opposite pattern was found for disgust. Fear may therefore work to enhance perception, whereas disgust dampens it. These convergent results provide support for the Darwinian hypothesis that facial expressions are not arbitrary configurations for social communication, but rather, expressions may have originated in altering the sensory interface with the physical world.

Fear shapes information acquisition in decisions from experience

“…The search and choice behavior observed in these two conditions was no different from that observed in the baseline happy state. Of the three negative emotions, it thus seems to be fear, in particular, that increases information acquisition (see also Susskind et al, 2008) and ultimately affects choice.…”

“…In sum, it appears that the facial expression of fear (see Susskind et al, 2008) and the subjective feeling of fear trigger parallel effects: acquisition of more information from the world. But is more information necessarily better?…”

“…Susskind et al (2008) put this idea to the test and found that people's ability to sample sensory information from the environment was indeed increased when they staged expressions of fear (e.g., opening their eyes and raising their brows): Participants reported a subjectively larger visual field (relative to a neutral expression) and showed faster saccadic eye movements, which facilitated scanning of the environment and swift detection of potential threats.…”

“…We focus on one specific deviation from this baseline emotional state, namely, fear. Specifically, as the physiognomy of fear facilitates visual search (Susskind et al, 2008), does a feeling of fear trigger analogous changes in search behavior, such as increased information acquisition via sampling from the world?…”

How should the psychological well‐being of zoo elephants be objectively investigated?

“…Signs of increased vigilance such as ''head-up'' scanning postures or eye widening [which probably functions to increase peripheral vision; Susskind et al, 2008] may also be useful welfare indicators. For example, eye-widening that shows the whites is a well-validated fear/distress index in cattle [e.g., Sandem et al, 2002;Core et al, 2009], again to both identify negative stimuli and, by using standardized ''probe'' stimuli, assess underlying anxiety.…”