Fast emotional embodiment can modulate sensory exposure in perceivers

Abstract

Fear and disgust expressions are not arbitrary social cues. expressing fear maximizes sensory exposure (e.g., increases visual and nasal input), whereas expressing disgust reduces sensory exposure (e.g., decreases visual and nasal input).1 A similar effect of these emotional expressions has recently been found to modify sensory exposure at the level of the central nervous system (attention) in people perceiving these expressions.2 At an attentional level, sensory exposure is increased when perceiving fear and reduced when perceiving disgust. These findings suggest that response preparations are transmitted by expressers to perceivers. However, the processes involved in the transmission of such emotional action tendencies remain unclear. We suggest that emotional contagion by means of grounded cognition theories could be a simple, ecological and straight-forward explanation of this effect. The contagion through embodied simulation of others' emotional states with simple, efficient and very fast facial mimicry may represent the underlying process.