Abstract:

Emotional facial expressions can indicate behavioral intentions to others. Observing an emotional expression could prompt approach or avoidance. However, the literature reports mixed findings with emotional expressions such as anger or fear being associated with both approach and avoidance. In this study (N = 152 participants), we investigated how facial characteristics (i.e., gaze direction) and individual traits (i.e., Big Five and Schizotypal personality) modulate behavioral responses to the perception of neutral, angry, fearful, and sad faces. We assessed approach and avoidance using force plates to investigate spontaneous backward and forward postural adjustments. Results show that angry and fearful faces elicit defensive responses characterized by backward body sway (i.e., avoidance). Although facial features further qualified those defensive reactions with deviated gazes in fear stimuli eliciting a relative approach, we did not find conclusive evidence for the role of personality in these responses. We discuss the relevance of force plates in assessing spontaneous responses to social cues and suggest a framework for understanding reactions to emotional facial expressions.