The Effect of Facial Feedback Through Facilitated and Inhibited Facial Expressions

Abstract
The aim of the current study was to predict that people's facial activity influence their responses. The design partially replicated a previous study where three hundred and twenty five, (251 females and 74 males) university undergraduates took part in the experiment. Participants were instructed to hold a pen in their mouths to either inhibit or facilitate the muscles associated with smiling, without knowing the true nature of the experiment. Participants rated cartoons on a scale of 0 - 9. Those who displayed facilitated smile report a slightly higher rating than those who had inhibited their smile, supporting the predicted hypothesis. Results demonstrated that facilitated mechanisms may contribute to response and lends support to the Facial Feedback Hypothesis.
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