Effects of Male Anxiety Chemosignals on the Evaluation of Happy Facial Expressions
Abstract
The communication of chemosensory alarm signals is well explored in mammals. In humans the effects of anxiety substances might seem to be less important due to their high-developed visual system, and their sophisticated ability to communicate via speech and body language. Nevertheless, an increasing number of studies suggest an effect of chemosignals of anxiety on human physiology and behavior. In the present study two kinds of human sweat were collected from 21 males during a bicycle workout and a visit of a high rope course, and were then applied to 15 different healthy male participants during an emotion evaluation task. Participants were instructed to rate emotional male faces of different morphing levels (neutral-happy) by using a visual analog scale under exposure of three different samples (exercise sweat, anxiety sweat, and control material). Our study revealed that men rated happy faces as less happy under the influence of anxiety sweat compared to the exercise and the control conditions; significant differences were demonstrated only for ambiguous emotional faces. In conclusion, chemosignals of anxiety comprised in human sweat are communicated between males; they diminish the evaluation of ambiguous happy male facial expressions in men and thereby influence the perception of emotional faces.
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Exposure to negative emotions improved ability to recognize ambiguous faces expressions.
“improved ability to recognize ambiguous faces expressions (Zernecke et al., 2011; Zhou & Chen, 2009)”
From The scent of emotions: A systematic review of human intra‐ and interspecific chemical communication of emotions (2020) · cites this paper as Zernecke et al., 2011
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Chemosignals communicate human emotions
de Groot, J. H. B., Smeets, M. A. M., Kaldewaij, A., Duijndam, M. J. A., & Semin, G. R. (2012) · Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/0956797612445317 · Cited by 215 · see citing works
Psychological Sweating: A Systematic Review Focused on Aetiology and Cutaneous Response
Harker, M. (2013) · Skin Pharmacology and Physiology · doi:10.1159/000346930 · Cited by 117 · see citing works
Processing of body odor signals by the human brain
Pause, B. M. (2012) · Chemosensory Perception · doi:10.1007/s12078-011-9108-2 · Cited by 107 · see citing works
de Groot, J. H. B., Semin, G. R., & Smeets, M. A. M. (2014) · Journal of Experimental Psychology: General · doi:10.1037/a0033731 · Cited by 71 · see citing works
Calvi, E., Quassolo, U., Massaia, M., Scandurra, A., D'Aniello, B., & D'Amelio, P. (2020) · Brain and Behavior · doi:10.1002/brb3.1585 · Cited by 71 · see citing works
“…2 cm below the participant's nose were used (de Groot et al., 2012, 2014a, 2014b; Groot, Smeets, Rowson, et al., 2015; Groot, Smeets, & Semin, 2015; Zernecke et al., 2011; Zhou & Chen, 2011); propylene jars were used in 4 cases (Ferreira et al., 2018; de Groot et al., 2018; Iversen et al., 2015;…”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialChemical communication of fear: A case of male-female asymmetry
de Groot, J. H. B., Semin, G. R., & Smeets, M. A. M. (2014) · Journal of Experimental Psychology: General · doi:10.1037/a0035950 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
Rapid Stress System Drives Chemical Transfer of Fear from Sender to Receiver
de Groot, J. H. B., Smeets, M. A. M., & Semin, G. R. (2015) · PLOS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0118211 · Cited by 50 · see citing works
Smelling Anxiety Chemosignals Impairs Clinical Performance of Dental Students
Singh, P. B., Young, A., Lind, S., Leegaard, M. C., Capuozzo, A., & Parma, V. (2018) · Chemical Senses · doi:10.1093/chemse/bjy028 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
- Authors
- Zernecke, R., Haegler, K., Kleemann, A. M., Albrecht, J., Frank, T., Linn, J., Brückmann, H., & Wiesmann, M.
- Affiliations
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (DE)
- Monell Chemical Senses Center (US)
- RWTH Aachen University (DE)
- Venue
- Journal of Psychophysiology
- Publisher
- Hogrefe Publishing Group
- Published
- 2011-01
- Volume
- 25
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 116-123
- ISSN
- 0269-8803 (ISSN-L)
- 2151-2124
- OpenAlex
- W2129906670
- Cited by
- 49
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2024: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 1.20
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Psychophysiology (publishedVersion)
- RWTH Publications (RWTH Aachen) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Sensory Systems › Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Face Recognition and Perception
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
- Keywords
- chemosignals, anxiety, sweat, facial expression perception, happy facial expressions, ambiguous emotions, affective evaluation
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