Wf. Flack et al., Separate and combined effects of facial expressions and bodily postures onemotional feelings, EUR J SOC P, 29(2-3), 1999, pp. 203-217
The results of numerous experimental studies have provided ample evidence f
or William James' theory that emotional conduct is a sufficient condition f
or the occurrence of emotional feelings. Two further questions are addresse
d in the study reported in this paper. First, critics have speculated that
the effects of peripheral feedback from expressive bodily movement may lead
to generalized diffuse pleasant or unpleasant experiences, rather than the
specific emotional feelings consistent with James' position. Second if the
Jamesian account is correct, then the simultaneous combination of multiple
, consistent solaces of expressive bodily feedback should result in greater
magnitudes of emotional response than those caused by separate, individual
sources. The results of the present study replicate those of the only othe
r study (Duclos et al., 1989) which has demonstrated specific effects of ex
pressive behaviors on corresponding emotional feelings. It was also possibl
e to demonstrate, via correlational analyses, that those people who are res
ponsive to their expressions tend to be responsive to their postures as wel
l, since subjects in this study received manipulations of their facial expr
essions mid their bodily, postures. The results of this study also indicate
that matching combinations of facial expressions and bodily postures resul
t in more powerful feelings of the corresponding emotional feelings than do
either expressions or postures alone. Copyright (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons
, Ltd.