Facial display when alone: An experiment which contrasts the views of Paul Ekman and Alan Fridlund
Date
1989
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Producer
Director
Performer
Choreographer
Costume Designer
Music
Videographer
Lighting Designer
Set Designer
Crew Member
Funder
Rehearsal Director
Concert Coordinator
Advisor
Moderator
Panelist
Alternative Title
Department
Haverford College. Department of Psychology
Type
Thesis
Original Format
Running Time
File Format
Place of Publication
Date Span
Copyright Date
Award
Language
eng
Note
Table of Contents
Terms of Use
Rights Holder
Access Restrictions
Haverford users only
Terms of Use
Tripod URL
Identifier
Abstract
In order to test the merits of Paul Ekman's neurocultural (1975) versus Alan Fridlund's Behavioral-Ecology (in press) views of facial expression, an experiment was done to test the affects of what Fridlund calls "imaginary interactants" on subjects' responses (smiling and laughing) to humorous stimuli (clips from well known comedies film) which the subjects watched while alone. 50 male subjects were randomly assigned to the two experimental groups: anticipated interaction (told that they would be talking about the tape with someone else) and completely alone. Neither group knew that watching the clips was the actual experimental task. There was also a post-watching interview which was designed to determine the amount of thought about "potential imagined interactants" which took place in the minds of the subjects. The results showed no difference between the two groups' smiling and laughing. The data were then divided on the basis of subjects' responses to certain interview questions. ANOVAs were run based on the interview data and revealed that subjects laugh with high intensity most when they are not thinking about particular other people (p<.Ol). This-finding is in direct conflict with Fridlund's theory. It was also discovered, however, that when people wished for others' presence they laughed and smiled more (p<.Ol). The results are discussed in detail, and seem to support adoption of an Ekmanian perspective, but the author calls for more work in the area.