Exploring the explicit knowledge of the Duchenne marker and asymmetry in smile judgment

Abstract

Research has shown that individuals are sensitive to the activation of the orbicularis oculi muscle (Duchenne marker) and are able to detect asymmetry. It has been proposed that the differences in smile judgment performance might be explained by one’s explicit knowledge regarding the morphological cues. The goal of the study was to explore individuals’ explicit knowledge of the Duchenne marker and asymmetry in smile judgment tasks. The present study also employed the Likert scale to examine the possible effect of response options on smile judgment tasks. Participants also were asked to judge both the happiness and authenticity of smiles. Three types of smiles (symmetrical Duchenne, non- Duchenne and asymmetrical) were presented for the smile judgment task. Participants were also asked to indicate if they noticed symmetrical differences and cues in certain facial regions. Results showed that the symmetrical Duchenne smiles were judged as being the most happy and authentic. This was followed by the non-Duchenne smiles while the asymmetrical smiles were judged as being the least happy and authentic. This finding was similar to that found in a previous study that employed the Likert scale, suggesting the possible influence of response options on smile judgment. Similar results were obtained for both the happiness and authenticity judgment conditions, implying that wording only had a minor influence on smile judgment. Results also revealed that participants had good explicit knowledge about the morphological cues but it was not perfect. Therefore, the results suggested that explicit knowledge on its own is not sufficient to explain smile judgment performance.