Encoding and Decoding of Facial Expression

Differences in judgment ratings on the development of smiling and neutral expressions over time were demonstrated with the use of line-drawn representations of facial expressions as stimuli. There was a greater variation in ratings for the different stages of smiling than for the equivalent stages of the neutral expression. Furthermore, the judges' ratings on the degree of smiling varied for the individual encoders or “models, ” indicating that the judges were able to perceive differences in the encoding abilities of the individuals. Significant gender differences existed in the decoding (or rating) skills of the judges: The women used the extremes of the rating scale more often than the men to judge an expression as a smile, especially when the smiling expression was reaching its peak. For the judgment of neutral expressions, the women used the lower end of the rating scale more often than the men. Finally, the configuration of those features that represent activity of the mouth were significantly more important than others in contributing to the mean score of the judges.