@article{ref1,
title="The emotion seen in a face can be a methodological artifact: the process of elimination hypothesis",
journal="Emotion",
year="2016",
author="DiGirolamo, Marissa A. and Russell, James A.",
volume="17",
number="3",
pages="538-546",
abstract="The claim that certain facial expressions signal certain specific emotions has been supported by high observer agreement in labeling the emotion predicted for that expression. Our hypothesis was that, with a method common to the field, high observer agreement can be achieved through a process of elimination: As participants move from trial to trial and they encounter a type of expression not previously encountered in the experiment, they tend to eliminate labels they have already associated with expressions seen on previous trials; they then select among labels not previously used. Seven experiments (total N = 1,068) here showed that the amount of agreement can be altered through a process of elimination. One facial expression not previously theorized to signal any emotion was consensually labeled as disgusted (76%), annoyed (85%), playful (89%), and mischievous (96%). Three quite different facial expressions were labeled nonplussed (82%, 93%, and 82%). A prototypical sad expression was labeled disgusted (55%), and a prototypical fear expression was labeled surprised (55%). A facial expression was labeled with a made-up word (tolen; 53%). Similar results were obtained both in a context focused on demonstrating a process of elimination and in one similar to a commonly used method, with 4 target expressions embedded with other expressions in 24 randomly ordered trials. (PsycINFO Database Record<br><br>(c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1528-3542",
doi="10.1037/emo0000247",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/emo0000247"
}