I am working to add to self-report measures of social perceptions using paradigms such as change blindness, fMRI, EMG, and ERP. In collaboration with Ben Jones I have been using a new video change blindness method to investigate automatic attention to different types of faces. I am using facial EMG to investigate the degree to which certain facial characteristics qualify expression copying in collaboration with Daniel Krupp and Margo Wilson.
We are currently using the new video change blindness method to look at how the attractiveness of a face affects how quickly it captures attention. Prelimiary results show that identical changes made to faces manipulated in attractiveness are detected faster in the attractive condition than the unattractive condition (with identical distractor stimuli).
Research indicates that people copy the expressions of faces they see. By measuring the subtle electrical signals emitted by moving facial muscles, Margo Wilson, Daniel Krupp, Ben Jones and I hope to learn how factors such as attractiveness, apparent health, and resemblance to self affect the degree to which people copy the facial expressions of others. We are also using a new technique to generate moving images with identical expression and motion, but that differ on a single manipulated factor, such as masculinity or resemblance to self.
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