Facial expressions as excitatory and inhibitory stimuli for conditioned autonomic responses

Abstract

Several lines of evidence suggest that emotional responses to facial expressions of emotion have a biological basis. The present study involved 4 experiments where pictures of angry, happy or neutral facial expressions were used as conditioned stimuli in aversive Pavlovian electrodermal conditioning. From an evolutionary perspective it was expected that an angry face should have an excitatory effect on aversively conditioned responses, whereas a happy face should have an inhibitory effect. It was also expected that the effect should be specific for the stimulus person showing the display. The data showed that the stimulus person was a critical mediating factor for obtaining persistent conditioning effects, that is to say, responses which showed resistance to extinction. Persistent responding was primarily manifested when the stimulus person displayed anger during extinction. On the other hand, this effect was inhibited when the person displayed a happy face during extinction. Furthermore, resistance to extinction was increased or decreased dependent on whether the person expressed anger or happiness during acquisition. Thus, consistent with predictions, angry and happy faces exhibited an excitatory and inhibitory effect, respectively, and these effects were mediated by the stimulus person.