Smile types, empathy and perceptions of social interaction

Abstract

Smiles have been related to affective states (either positive or negative) and to communicative and interactive processes. The present study aims to evaluate the perception of 16 types of smiles as regards empathy and potential for social interaction, with a view at establishing the meaning accorded by decoders to differently FACS coded smiles. A smile data base collected in a clinical context was FACS coded and the observed AU facially reproduced by several certified coders. Images of these reproductions were made the target of a questionnaire presented to 209 participants. Judgments were elicited on a number of characteristics: empathy, dominance, approach tendency, confidence, cooperation, competence, sympathy, honesty, being positive and being negative. The Felt Smile and the Coordination Smile emerged as the most empathic ones, while Puzzled Smile and Embarrassment Smile were the less empathic.