Joyandsadnessareexperiencedbypeopleinallculturesaroundtheworld,buthowcanwetellwhenotherpeoplearehappyor?despondent??Itturnsoutthattheexpressionofmanyemotionsmaybeuniversal,Smilingisapparentlyauniversalsignoffriendlinessandapproval.Baringtheteethin?ahostileway,asnotedbyCharlesDarwininthenineteenthcentury,maybeauniversesignofanger.Astheoriginatorofthetheoryofevolution,Darwinbelievedthattheuniversalrecognitionoffacialexpressionswouldhavesurvivalvalue.Forexample,facialexpressionscouldsignaltheapproachofenemies(orfriends)intheabsenceoflanguage. Mostinvestigators?concur?thatcertainfacialexpressionssuggestthesameemotionsinapeople.Moreover,peopleindiverseculturesrecognizetheemotionsmanifestedbythefacialexpressions.InclassicresearchPaulEkmantookphotographsofpeopleexhibitingtheemotionsofanger,disgust,fear,happiness,andsadness.Hethenaskedpeoplearoundtheworldtoindicatewhatemotionswerebeingdepictedinthem.ThosequeriedrangedfromEuropeancollegestudentstomembersoftheFore,atribethatdwellsintheNewGuineahighlands.AllgroupsincludingtheFore,whohadalmostnocontactwithWesternculture,agreedontheportrayedemotions.TheForealsodisplayedfamiliarfacialexpressionswhenaskedhowtheywouldrespondiftheywerethecharactersinstoriesthatcalledforbasicemotionalresponses.Ekmanandhiscolleaguesmorerecentlyobtainedsimilarresultsinastudyoftenculturesinwhichparticipantswerepermittedtoreportthatmultipleemotionswereshownbyfacialexpressions.Theparticipantsgenerallyagreedonwhichtwoemotionswerebeingshownandwhichemotionwasmoreintense. Psychologicalresearchersgenerallyrecognizethatfacialexpressionsreflectemotionalstates.Infact,variousemotionalstatesgiverisetocertainpatternsofelectricalactivityinthefacialmusclesandinthebrain.Thefacial-feedbackhypothesisargues,however,thatthecausalrelationshipbetweenemotionsandfacialexpressionscanalsoworkintheoppositedirection.Accordingtothishypothesis,signalsfromthefacialmuscles(“feedback”)aresentbacktoemotioncentersofthebrain,andsoaperson’sfacialexpressioncaninfluencethatperson’semotionalstate.ConsiderDarwin’swords:“Thefreeexpressionbyoutwardsignsofanemotionintensifiesit.Ontheotherhand,therepression,asfaraspossible,ofalloutwardsignssoftensouremotions.”Cansmilinggiverisetofeelingsofgoodwill,forexample,andfrowningtoanger? Psychologicalresearchhasgivenrisetosomeinterestingfindingsconcerningthefacial-feedbackhypothesis.Causingparticipantsinexperimentstosmile,forexample,leadsthemtoreportmorepositivefeelingsandtoratecartoons(humorousdrawingsofpeopleorsituations)asbeingmorehumorous.Whentheyarecausedtofrown,theyratecartoonsasbeingmoreaggressive. Whatarethepossiblelinksbetweenfacialexpressionsandemotion?Onelinkisarousal,whichisthelevelofactivityorpreparednessforactivityinanorganism.Intensecontractionoffacialmuscles,suchasthoseusedinsignifyingfear,heightensarousal.Self-perceptionofheightenedarousalthenleadstoheightenedemotionalactivity.Otherlinksmayinvolvechangesinbraintemperatureandthereleaseofneurotransmitters(substancesthattransmitnerveimpulses.)Thecontractionoffacialmusclesbothinfluencestheinternalemotionalstateandreflectsit.Ekmanhasfoundthattheso-calledDuchennesmile,whichischaracterizedby“crow’sfeet”wrinklesaroundtheeyesandasubtledropintheeyecoverfoldsothattheskinabovetheeyemovesdownslightlytowardtheeyeball,canleadtopleasantfeelings. Ekman’sobservationmayberelevanttotheBritishexpression“keepastiffupperlip”asarecommendationforhandlingstress.Itmightbethata“stiff”lipsuppressesemotionalresponse-aslongasthelipisnotquiveringwithfearortension.Butwhentheemotionthatleadstostiffeningthelipismoreintense,andinvolvesstrongmuscletension,facialfeedbackmayheightenemotionalresponse. Theword“despondent”inthepassageisclosestinmeaningto_____.
A.curious B.unhappy C.thoughtful D.uncertain正确答案B
