Cited by 131Face Recognition and PerceptionPrimate Behavior and EcologyEvolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior

How do monkeys look at faces?

Nahm, Frederick K. D., Perret, Amelie, Amaral, David G., Albright, Thomas D.·1997·Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience

Abstract

Facial displays are an important form of social communication in nonhuman primates. Clues to the information conveyed by faces are the temporal and spatial characteristics of ocular viewing patterns to facial images. The present study compares viewing patterns of four rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) to a set of 1- and 3-sec video segments of conspecific facial displays, which included open-mouth threat, lip-smack, yawn, fear-grimace, and neutral profile. Both static and dynamic video images were used. Static human faces displaying open-mouth threat, smile, and neutral gestures were also presented. Eye position was recorded with a surgically implanted eye-coil. The relative perceptual salience of the eyes, the midface, and the mouth across different expressive gestures was determined by analyzing the number of eye movements associated with each feature during static and dynamic presentations. The results indicate that motion does not significantly affect the viewing patterns to expressive facial displays, and when given a choice, monkeys spend a relatively large amount of time inspecting the face, especially the eyes, as opposed to areas surrounding the face. The expressive nature of the facial display also affected viewing patterns in that threatening and fear-related displays evoked a pattern of viewing that differed from that recorded during the presentation of submissive-related facial displays. From these results we conclude that (1) the most important determinant of the visual inspection patterns of faces is the constellation of physiognomic features and their configuration, but not facial motion, (2) the eyes are generally the most salient facial feature, and (3) the agonistic or affiliative dimension of an expressive facial display can be delineated on the basis of viewing patterns.

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Crossref · 10.1162/jocn.1997.9.5.611

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Authors
Nahm, F. K. D., Perret, A., Amaral, D. G., & Albright, T. D.
Affiliations
  • Salk Institute for Biological Studies (US)
  • University of California, Davis (US)
Venue
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
Published
1997
Volume
9
Issue
5
Pages
611-623
ISSN
  • 0898-929X (ISSN-L)
  • 1530-8898
OpenAlex
W2135134446
Cited by
131
References
35
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 5
FWCI
1.59
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Face Recognition and Perception
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Primate Behavior and Ecology
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
Keywords
facial expressions, gaze patterns, rhesus monkeys, eye movements, social communication, threat display, fear expression, yawns, facial motion, agonistic behavior, affiliative behavior, nonhuman primate cognition

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