The relationship between spontaneous facial expressions of emotion and voluntary control of facial muscles

The goal of this study was to examine whether individual differences in the intensity of facial expressions of emotion are associated with individual differences in the voluntary control of facial muscles. Fifty college students completed a facial mimicry task, and were judged on the accuracy and intensity of their facial movements. Self-reported emotional experience was measured after subjects viewed positive and negative affect-eliciting filmclips, and intensity of facial expressiveness was measured from videotapes recorded while the subjects viewed the filmclips. There were significant sex differences in both facial mimicry task performance and responses to the filmclips. Accuracy and intensity scores on the mimicry task, which were not significantly correlated with one another, were both positively correlated with the intensity of facial expressiveness in response to the filmclips, but were not associated with reported experiences.