Biomaterial Database

Facial reactions to fear-relevant and fear-irrelevant stimuli. 1986

U Dimberg

Earlier research has shown that subjects exposed to different facial expressions react spontaneously with different facial electromyographic (EMG) response patterns. In the present study subjects were exposed to fear-relevant (snakes/spiders) and fear-irrelevant (flowers/mushrooms) stimuli, while facial EMG activity, skin conductance responses (SCRs) and heart rate (HR) were measured. The stimuli evoked different response patterns. Fear-relevant stimuli elicited increased corrugator muscle activity, whereas fear-irrelevant stimuli evoked increased zygomatic muscle activity. Fear-relevant stimuli also evoked HR deceleration and larger SCR magnitudes. The present data are consistent with the theory that the face constitutes an emotional 'readout/output-system'.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D004576	Electromyography	Recording of the changes in electric potential of muscle by means of surface or needle electrodes.	Electromyogram,Surface Electromyography,Electromyograms,Electromyographies,Electromyographies, Surface,Electromyography, Surface,Surface Electromyographies
D005149	Facial Expression	Observable changes of expression in the face in response to emotional stimuli.	Face Expression,Expression, Face,Expression, Facial,Face Expressions,Facial Expressions
D005239	Fear	The affective response to an actual current external danger which subsides with the elimination of the threatening condition.	Threat Cues,Threat Sensitivity,Cue, Threat,Fears,Sensitivity, Threat,Threat Cue,Threat Sensitivities
D005712	Galvanic Skin Response	A change in electrical resistance of the skin, occurring in emotion and in certain other conditions.	Electric Conductance, Skin,Electrodermal Response,Reflex, Psychogalvanic,Skin Electric Conductance,Conductance, Skin Electric,Conductances, Skin Electric,Electric Conductances, Skin,Electrodermal Responses,Galvanic Skin Responses,Psychogalvanic Reflex,Response, Electrodermal,Response, Galvanic Skin,Responses, Electrodermal,Responses, Galvanic Skin,Skin Response, Galvanic,Skin Responses, Galvanic
D006339	Heart Rate	The number of times the HEART VENTRICLES contract per unit of time, usually per minute.	Cardiac Rate,Chronotropism, Cardiac,Heart Rate Control,Heartbeat,Pulse Rate,Cardiac Chronotropy,Cardiac Chronotropism,Cardiac Rates,Chronotropy, Cardiac,Control, Heart Rate,Heart Rates,Heartbeats,Pulse Rates,Rate Control, Heart,Rate, Cardiac,Rate, Heart,Rate, Pulse
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man