research

social functions of smiles & Laughter

Different smile expressions appear to aid in the regulation of social interaction. Are there morphologically distinct smiles? If so, what do they look like? And, which specific social tasks do the expressions accomplish? In the context of COVID-19 we also ask, what are the consequences for the perception of facial expression of wearing masks?

affective synchrony

Under many conditions two people, or members of a group, sync their expressive and physiological states of emotion over time. What is the function of affective synchrony? How do people achieve this? And is it possible or desirable to teach robots to sync expressive signals, including muscle patterns and facial coloration, with their human users? [Image used with permission, from this paper.]

ANCESTRAL DIVERSITY & EMOTION CULTURE

Countries and regions of the world vary in the extent to which their present-day populations were established by migration and immigration. Over history, people in high ancestrally diverse cultures have had to interact without common language and emotion norms. How are cultures of emotion, including frequency and type of smiling, shaped over time by this socio-ecological factor?

physiology and social tolerance

People increasingly interact with unfamiliar and diverse individuals and such interactions are arousing and sometimes stressful. What features of the autonomic nervous system assure effective emotion regulation during social challenges?  And what conditions influence this physiological basis of social tolerance?