How Context Influences Our Perception of Emotional Faces: A Behavioral Study on the Kuleshov Effect.

ABSTRACT: Facial expressions are of major importance in understanding the mental and emotional states of others. So far, most studies on the perception and comprehension of emotions have used isolated facial expressions as stimuli; for example, photographs of actors displaying facial expressions corresponding to one of the so called 'basic emotions.' However, our real experience during social interactions is different: facial expressions of emotion are mostly perceived in a wider context, constituted by body language, the surrounding environment, and our beliefs and expectations. Already in the early twentieth century, the Russian filmmaker Lev Kuleshov argued that such context, established by intermediate shots of strong emotional content, could significantly change our interpretation of facial exp

SUBMITTER: Calbi M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5632723 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature