The Link Between Cognition and Emotion Perception

Source: pixel2013/Pixabay

In a famous study by Larsen, Kasimatis, and Frey (1992), the researchers instructed participants with golf tees affixed to the edges of their eyebrows to make them touch. In doing so, the participants unintentionally had to furrow their brows, which then led to them reporting more sadness when asked to rate photographs. Essentially, what happened is that by moving their brows in such a way, they activated muscles associated with sadness, which led to the experience of this emotion. Facial muscles can impact our emotions.

Embodied Cognition

In previous posts, I have discussed embodied cognition, or the idea that our perceptions can influence our thoughts, which means that social experiences are not independent from perception. In an experiment conducted by Zhong and Leonardelli (2008), it was found that college students literally felt cold, or preferred warm food when they experienced being socially excluded, demonstrating that feelings of isolation lead people to seek warmth.

Embodied Emotions

The same thing happens with our emotions. Our interpretations of others are affected by our own emotional experiences. Additionally, “…humans decode each other’s expressions partly by simulating the perceived expression in their own facial musculature” (Neal & Chartrand, 2011). People will subconsciously mimic a person’s expression, which will then send feedback to their brain, allowing the receiver to interpret and experience the emotion. Essentially, what we see is what we do (without conscious awareness), which is then interpreted by us as having an emotional meaning.

In a 2011 study, Neal and Chartrand set out to examine whether people’s perception of facial expressions is affected when muscular signals from their own faces have been altered. Thirty-one female participants, who were recruited from cosmetic surgery clinics participated. All had received injections for wrinkles around their eyes and mouth. Two groups were created; those who received Botox and those who received Restylane. Botox paralyzes facial muscles, whereas Restylane does not lead to paralysis. The researchers hypothesized that the Botox group would demonstrate an impaired ability to detect emotions, as their own facial movements would be dampened.

All participants were instructed to look at black-and-white photos of a person’s eyes and select the emotion that was depicted. Correct responses and reaction time were recorded. Results demonstrated that there was greater accuracy for positive emotions than negative emotions. In addition, the Botox group was less accurate that the Restylane group. Reaction times did not differ between the two groups. Therefore, being that Botox inhibits facial movements, it reduced facial feedback, and in turn reduced the accuracy of perceptions of others’ emotions

This was an important addition to the growing body of embodied cognition work, as it demonstrates the connection between that emotions and cognitions. The authors note that their results “… align more closely with theories that describe facial feedback as moderating, rather than mediating, emotional processes” (Neil & Chartrand, 2011). Our ability to understand others is at least partially dependent on our ability to mimic that emotion ourselves.

Connection to Relationships

So why might this be important within the context of relationships? If our perceptions are influenced by emotions and vice versa, we must be cognizant of how our external environment and experiences influence our interactions with our loved ones. When picking up on cues from our partner, or anyone else for that matter, we may start to mimic their behaviors, and in turn experience their emotions. While this can assist us in our ability to empathize, it can also affect our thoughts, judgments, and perceptions. Therefore, it is important to check in and reflect on our own emotional experience, and monitor the effect it is having on our interactions with and feelings about others.