Padova Emotional Dataset of Facial Expressions (PEDFE): a unique dataset of genuine and posed emotional facial expressions

Abstract

Facial expressions are among the most powerful signals for human beings to convey their emotional states. Indeed, emotional facial datasets represent the most effective and controlled method of examining humans' interpretationof and reaction to various emotions. However, the scientific research on emotion mainly relied on static pictures of facial expressions posed (i.e., simulated) by actors, creating a signi?ficant bias in emotion literature. This dataset tries to ?ll this gap, providing a considerable amount (N = 1458) of dynamic genuine (N = 707) and posed (N = 751) clips of the six universal emotions from 56 participants. Furthermore, pictures displaying frame by frame the temporal dynamic of the expression, are also available for each clip. Notably, all stimuli were validated by 122 human observers. Hit rates for emotion and genuineness, as well as the mean, standard deviation of genuineness, and intensity perception, are provided for each clip.