The effect of face masks on confusion of emotional expressions.

ABSTRACT: While the use of personal protective equipment protects healthcare workers against transmissible disease, it also obscures the lower facial regions that are vital for transmitting emotion signals. Previous studies have found that face coverings can impair recognition of emotional expressions, particularly those that rely on signals from the lower regions of the face, such as disgust. Recent research on the individual differences that may influence expression recognition, such as emotional intelligence, has shown mixed results. In the current investigation, we conducted two experiments to build on previous work to further investigate the role of emotional intelligence in emotion recognition. Participants viewed a set of masked and unmasked models displaying six different emotional expressio

SUBMITTER: Libby AR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12422498 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature