Can We Tell Winners and Losers Apart? Social and Cultural Effects on Facial Expressions of Children and Adults in Games

Hoi Ching Mui, Martijn Goudbeek, Marc Swerts

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterScientificpeer-review

    Abstract

    Can we tell winners and losers apart, on the basis of their facial expressions? In this chapter, we investigate the effects of social and cultural factors on expressions associated with winning and losing in games. Eight-year-olds and adults, who were either Dutch or Chinese, played games alone or with a classmate (children), or against a high-power and a low-power opponent (adults). In two perception experiments, video recordings of these game players were shown to judges, who had to evaluate whether the game players had won or lost the game. Results showed that judges were better at identifying the losers than the winners among children and adults. Judges also performed better when judging children who played in pairs than alone, and adults who played against a high-power than a low-power opponent. However, these effects were qualified by an interaction with the nationality of the game players.
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationEmotional Expression
    Subtitle of host publicationThe Brain and the Face
    EditorsA Freitas-magalhães
    Place of PublicationOporto, Portugal
    Pages180-210
    Number of pages30
    Volume7
    ISBN (Electronic)9789898766106
    Publication statusPublished - 11 Dec 2015

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Can We Tell Winners and Losers Apart? Social and Cultural Effects on Facial Expressions of Children and Adults in Games'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this