CHILDRENS PHYSIOLOGICAL-RESPONSES WHILE PRODUCING FACIAL EXPRESSIONS OF EMOTIONS

Two studies were conducted: (a) children's ability to produce cross-cu lturally universal facial expressions of emotion, and (b) the degree o f physiological patterning in distinguishing among emotions. Preschool children participated in a Making Faces Game which directed them to m ake the facial muscle movements necessary for facial expressions of ha ppiness, anger, disgust, fear, and sadness. Physiological measures of heart rate and skin conductance level were collected when children dis played specific facial configurations. Face expressions of fear and sa dness were more difficult for the children to produce than happiness, anger, and disgust. Girls showed more production ability than boys, an d boys with unhappily married parents produced the least amount of fac es. Consistent with previous findings with adults, children's heart ra te increased more with anger than with disgust. Interestingly, childre n with unhappily married parents showed greater heart rate reactivity while producing facial expressions of emotions than did children with happily married parents.