SMILE, YOU’LL FEEL BETTER: TESTING THE FACIAL FEEDBACK HYPOTHESIS IN YOUNG AND OLDER ADULTS
2024
Facial Feedback and Emotions in Young and Older Adults
Sample size: 120
publication
Evidence: moderate
Author Information
Author(s): Kravljaca Nikolina, Stanley Jennifer
Primary Institution: University of Akron
Hypothesis
Older adults will show reduced facial feedback effects compared to younger adults.
Conclusion
Older adults experience facial feedback effects for anger but not for happiness.
Supporting Evidence
- Both age groups showed reductions in happiness scores when posed with an angry expression.
- Older adults had a larger decrease in happiness scores compared to younger adults in the Angry Condition.
- No significant age differences were found in happiness or anger ratings in the Happy Condition.
Takeaway
When older people make angry faces, they feel angrier than younger people, but making happy faces doesn't change how happy they feel.
Methodology
Participants posed happy, angry, and neutral facial expressions and rated their emotions on a 7-point scale.
Participant Demographics
Young and older adults.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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