Expressing fear enhances sensory acquisition.
Abstract
It has been proposed that facial expression production originates in sensory regulation. Here we demonstrate that facial expressions of fear are configured to enhance sensory acquisition. A statistical model of expression appearance revealed that fear and disgust expressions have opposite shape and surface reflectance features. We hypothesized that this reflects a fundamental antagonism serving to augment versus diminish sensory exposure. In keeping with this hypothesis, when subjects posed expressions of fear, they had a subjectively larger visual field, faster eye movements during target localization and an increase in nasal volume and air velocity during inspiration. The opposite pattern was found for disgust. Fear may therefore work to enhance perception, whereas disgust dampens it. These convergent results provide support for the Darwinian hypothesis that facial expressions are not arbitrary configurations for social communication, but rather, expressions may have originated in altering the sensory interface with the physical world.
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Facial expressions of fear enhance sensory acquisition, whereas disgust expressions restrict it.
“Facial expressions of fear enhance sensory acquisition, whereas disgust expressions restrict it.”
From Listen to your inner body: embodied emotions in predictive neuroscience and traditional East Asian medicine (2026) · cites this paper as Susskind et al., 2008
Facial expressions are not merely arbitrary patterns used for social communication; rather, they may originate from physiological adjustments that regulate sensory access to the physical world.
“Facial expressions are not merely arbitrary patterns used for social communication; rather, they may originate from physiological adjustments that regulate sensory access to the physical world (Susskind et al., 2008).”
From Listen to your inner body: embodied emotions in predictive neuroscience and traditional East Asian medicine (2026) · cites this paper as Susskind et al., 2008
In humans, disgust and fear expressions have nearly opposite statistical patterns of facial configuration, giving rise to the suggestion that these facial expressions may oppositely modulate sensory feedback: fear expressions may enhance relevant sensory perception, whereas disgust may suppress relevant sensory perception.
“In humans, disgust and fear expressions have nearly opposite statistical patterns of facial configuration, giving rise to the suggestion that these facial expressions may oppositely modulate sensory feedback: fear expressions may enhance relevant sensory perception (e.g., eye widening), whereas disgust may suppress relevant sensory perception (Susskind et al., 2008).”
From Evolving Concepts of Emotion and Motivation (2018) · cites this paper as Susskind et al., 2008
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“Facial expressions are not merely arbitrary patterns used for social communication; rather, they may originate from physiological adjustments that regulate sensory access to the physical world (Susskind et al., 2008).”
- Authors
- Susskind, J. M., Lee, D. H., Cusi, A., Feiman, R., Grabski, W., & Anderson, A. K.
- Affiliations
- University of Toronto (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Susskind, Joshua M
- Anderson, Adam K
- Venue
- Nature Neuroscience
- Published
- 2008-06-15
- Volume
- 11
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 843-850
- ISSN
- 1097-6256 (ISSN-L)
- 1546-1726
- OpenAlex
- W2012563519
- Cited by
- 595
- References
- 51
- Citations by year
- 2026: 21 · 2025: 28 · 2024: 40 · 2023: 34 · 2022: 28 · 2021: 29 · 2020: 79 · 2019: 27 · 2018: 32 · 2017: 43 · 2016: 39 · 2015: 38 · 2014: 29 · 2013: 33 · 2012: 29
- FWCI
- 11.37
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Nature Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Canada Research Chairs
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Face Recognition and Perception
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Primate Behavior and Ecology
- Keywords
- facial expressions, fear, disgust, visual field, eye movements, nasal cavity volume, air velocity, facial expression production, sensory regulation, surface reflectance, perception
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Inhalation, Facial Expression, Fear, Female, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Nose, Pattern Recognition, Visual, Perception, Photic Stimulation, Psychophysics, Sensation, Sleep, REM, Visual Fields
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