A multi-lab test of the facial feedback hypothesis by the Many Smiles Collaboration.
Nicholas A ColesDavid S MarchFernando Marmolejo-RamosJeff T LarsenNwadiogo Chisom ArinzeIzuchukwu L G NdukaiheMegan L WillisFrancesco ForoniNiv ReggevAviv MokadyPatrick S ForscherJohn F HunterGwenaël KaminskiElif YüvrükAycan KapucuTamás NagyNandor HajduJulian TejadaRaquel Meister Ko FreitagDanilo ZambranoBidisha SomBalazs AczelKrystian BarzykowskiSylwia AdamusKatarzyna FilipYuki YamadaAyumi IkedaDaniel Lloyd EavesCarmel A LevitanSydney LeiwekeMichal ParzuchowskiNatalie ButcherGerit PfuhlDana M Basnight-BrownJosé Antonio HinojosaPedro R MontoroLady Grey Javela DelgadoKevin VezirianHans I JzermanNatalia TrujilloSarah D PressmanPascal Mark GygaxAsil Ali ÖzdoğruSusana Ruiz-FernandezPhoebe C EllsworthLowell GaertnerFritz StrackMarco MarozziMarco Tullio LiuzzaPublished in: Nature human behaviour (2022)
Following theories of emotional embodiment, the facial feedback hypothesis suggests that individuals' subjective experiences of emotion are influenced by their facial expressions. However, evidence for this hypothesis has been mixed. We thus formed a global adversarial collaboration and carried out a preregistered, multicentre study designed to specify and test the conditions that should most reliably produce facial feedback effects. Data from n = 3,878 participants spanning 19 countries indicated that a facial mimicry and voluntary facial action task could both amplify and initiate feelings of happiness. However, evidence of facial feedback effects was less conclusive when facial feedback was manipulated unobtrusively via a pen-in-mouth task.