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Cited by 135Face Recognition and PerceptionAction Observation and SynchronizationFacial Nerve Paralysis Treatment and Research

Facial mimicry is not necessary to recognize emotion: Facial expression recognition by people with Moebius syndrome

Rives Bogart, Kathleen, Matsumoto, David·2010·Social Neuroscience
DOI 10.1080/17470910903395692
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Abstract

According to the reverse simulation model of embodied simulation theory, we recognize others' emotions by subtly mimicking their expressions, which allows us to feel the corresponding emotion through facial feedback. Previous studies examining whether facial mimicry is necessary for facial expression recognition were limited by potentially distracting manipulations intended to artificially restrict facial mimicry or very small samples of people with facial paralysis. We addressed these limitations by collecting the largest sample to date of people with Moebius syndrome, a condition characterized by congenital bilateral facial paralysis. In this Internet-based study, 37 adults with Moebius syndrome and 37 matched control participants completed a facial expression recognition task. People with Moebius syndrome did not differ from the control group or normative data in emotion recognition accuracy, and accuracy was not related to extent of ability to produce facial expressions. Our results do not support the hypothesis that reverse simulation with facial mimicry is necessary for facial expression recognition.

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  • Subjects with Möbius syndrome did not significantly differ from the control group in emotion recognition.

    “Specifically, Bogart's and Matsumoto's (2010) study revealed that subjects with Möbius syndrome (facial paralysis) did not significantly differ from the control group in emotion recognition, contradicting the view that facial mimicry is necessary for emotion recognition.”

    From Connecting minds and sharing emotions through mimicry: A neurocognitive model of emotional contagion (2017) · cites this paper as Bogart and Matsumoto, 2010

  • The empirical support for the role of mimicry in emotion processing has remained controversial.

    “Despite a growing body of literature, the empirical support for the role of mimicry in emotion processing has remained controversial (Assogna and Pontieri, 2008;Bogart and Matsumoto, 2010;Wagenmakers et al., 2016).”

    From Connecting minds and sharing emotions through mimicry: A neurocognitive model of emotional contagion (2017) · cites this paper as Bogart and Matsumoto, 2010

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Authors
Rives Bogart, K., & Matsumoto, D.
Affiliations
San Francisco State University (US)
ORCID
Matsumoto, David
Venue
Social Neuroscience
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Published
2010-04
Volume
5
Issue
2
Pages
241-251
ISSN
  • 1747-0919 (ISSN-L)
  • 1747-0927
DOI
10.1080/17470910903395692
OpenAlex
W2098793505
Cited by
135
References
72
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 5
FWCI
2.59
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Social Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Face Recognition and Perception
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Action Observation and Synchronization
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Neurology › Facial Nerve Paralysis Treatment and Research
Keywords
facial mimicry, facial expression recognition, emotion recognition, Moebius syndrome, facial paralysis, embodied simulation, facial feedback, congenital facial paralysis
MeSH terms
Adult, Emotions, Facial Expression, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Neuropsychological Tests, Photic Stimulation, Surveys and Questionnaires, Case-Control Studies, Mobius Syndrome, Recognition, Psychology, Feedback, Psychological, Young Adult

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