@article{ref1,
title="Sex differences in affective facial reactions are present in childhood",
journal="Frontiers in integrative neuroscience",
year="2018",
author="Cattaneo, Luigi and Veroni, Vania and Boria, Sonia and Tassinari, Giancarlo and Turella, Luca",
volume="12",
number="",
pages="e19-e19",
abstract="Adults exposed to affective facial displays produce specific rapid facial reactions (RFRs) which are of lower intensity in males compared to females. We investigated such sex difference in a population of 60 primary school children (30 F; 30 M), aged 7-10 years. We recorded the surface electromyographic (EMG) signal from the <i>corrugator supercilii</i> and the <i>zygomatici</i> muscles, while children watched affective facial displays. <br><br>RESULTS showed the expected smiling RFR to smiling faces and the expected frowning RFR to sad faces. A systematic difference between male and female participants was observed, with boys showing less ample EMG responses than age-matched girls. We demonstrate that sex differences in the somatic component of affective motor patterns are present also in childhood.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1662-5145",
doi="10.3389/fnint.2018.00019",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnint.2018.00019"
}