The Science of Facial Expression

The importance of facial expressions has led to a steadily growing body of empirical findings and theoretical analyses. Every decade has seen work that extends or challenges previous thinking on facial expression. The Science of Facial Expression provides an updated review of the current psychology of facial expression . This book summarizes current conclusions and conceptual frameworks from leading figures who have shaped the field in their various subfields, and will therefore be of interest to practitioners, students, and researchers of emotion in cognitive psychology, neuroscience, biology, anthropology, linguistics, affective computing, and homeland security. Organized in eleven thematic sections, The Science of Facial Expression offers a broad perspective of the "geography" of the science of facial expression. It reviews the scientific history of emotion perception and the evolutionary origins and functions of facial expression. It includes an updated compilation on the great debate around Basic Emotion Theory versus Behavioral Ecology and Psychological constructionism. The developmental psychology and social psychology of facial expressions is explored in the role of facial expressions in child development, social interactions, and culture. The book also covers appraisal theory, concepts, neural and behavioral processes, and lesser-known facial behaviors such as yawing, vocal crying, and vomiting. In addition, the book reflects that research on the "expression of emotion" is moving towards a significance of context in the production and interpretation of facial expression The authors expose various fundamental questions and controversies yet to be resolved, but in doing so, open many sources of inspiration to pursue in the scientific study of facial expression.

About the Author :
Jos�-Miguel Fern�ndez-Dols is Professor of Psychology at the Universidad Aut�noma de Madrid. His current research, developed in the framework of the Affective Sciences Lab, focuses on spontaneous expressions of emotion, as well as and everyday conceptions of emotion in culture and its interaction with social norms and motives. James A. Russell is Professor of Psychology at Boston College. His current research integrates various strands of human emotion research into a broad framework called the psychological construction of emotion. They have edited two books together: The Psychology of Facial Expression (1997) and Everyday Conceptions of Emotion (1995).

Review :
"Let's face it. This is a remarkable collection of essays that will define the Science of Facial Expression for years to come." --Joseph LeDoux, author of Anxious: Using the Brain to Understand and Treat Fear and Anxiety "This volume is a rarity. It is one of the few volumes that deserves a place in the library of every student or scholar of emotion. . . . This volume deals with both sides of a crucial issue in the field, and does so thoroughly, with impressive breadth, and concise position statements. It is a treat to read." --Joseph J. Campos, PhD, University of California, Berkeley, Co-Founder, International Society for Research on Emotions "The Science of Facial Expression is a valiant attempt to bring the players, the different theoretical points of view, and their empirical evidence to the table to provide the reader with a detailed and sophisticated discussion of the current state-of-the-art. In this sense, this volume is essential for anyone who is interested in facial activity and affective processes whether for theoretical reasons, or for specific applications. A milestone." --Arvid Kappas, PhD, Dean and Professor of Psychology, Jacobs University Bremen "This book is useful not only to practitioners and researchers, but also to anyone curious to learn about facial expressions. It has been written in a way that is accessible to all...a pioneering work." --BizIndia "What The Science of Facial Expressions does extremely well is give the reader grounding in the history of the field and insight into the most recent and interesting theoretical developments. The fact that it includes essays written by the most influential theorists in the field means that the book hangs together, better than collections of essays often do, because the individual authors frequently reference each other's work. I highly recommend this book for students and researchers studying facial expression science." --PsycCRITIQUES