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Motivational aspects of recognizing a smile

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 December 2010

Janek S. Lobmaier  and
Martin H. Fischer
Janek S. Lobmaier
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerlandjanek.lobmaier@psy.unibe.chhttp://www.kog.psy.unibe.ch/content/ueber_uns/lobmaier/index_ger.html
Martin H. Fischer
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 4HN, Scotland, United Kingdom. m.h.fischer@dundee.ac.ukhttp://www.dundee.ac.uk/psychology/people/academics/mhfischer/
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Abstract

What are the underlying processes that enable human beings to recognize a happy face? Clearly, featural and configural cues will help to identify the distinctive smile. In addition, the motivational state of the observer will influence the interpretation of emotional expressions. Therefore, a model accounting for emotion recognition is only complete if bottom-up and top-down aspects are integrated.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 33 , Issue 6 , December 2010 , pp. 452 - 453
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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