Judging Emotions by Photographs

An Experimental Design
Dr. (Smt.)Archna Chaturvedi
Introduction :

Emotion is mover or stirred-up state of the individual. It is stirred-up state of feeling

that is the way it appears to a person himself. It is a disturbed muscular and glandular
activity that appears to an external observer, who sees the clenched fists and flushed face
of anger and the tears of grief, or who hears the loud laugh of merriment and the pleading
tones of love.

Each enmotion is a feeling, and each is at the same time a motor set. Fear is a set for
escape, and anger for attack, mirth is a readiness to laugh, and grief a readiness to cry.
These sets are more specific than the accepting and rejectirg motor tendencies of
sev
personal experiences. There is a large vocabulary of names of different emotions. The each
which
era! emotions are distinguished in practice, by statingthe external situation in emotions also
emotion occurs and the type of over response demanded. Facial
indicate the inner feeling, attitude, liking, disliking, future behaviour etc. of the indiidual
Psychologists have done a large amount of research on judgemerts of emotiona!
of
expressions. There is a language of emotions, composed of gestures and postures
exclamations and inflexions and tones of the voice and facial expressions. This ianguageis
become standardized
no doubt based upon the unlearnt expressive movements, but is has
is much
through Bong ages, and now is largely a matter of social custom and convention. It
easier to differentiate pleasant &unpleasant emotions thanemotions iike disquietude, hate,
SCorn, etc.

Most of the research on facial expressions of emotion have dealt with ability
individuals to judge what specific emotions have distinctive expressions, e.g. laughte ,
surprise, horror and grief, are judged with high degree of uniformity. But a tew judges
confuse them with each other or with other emotions.

Judgingemotions by photographs is not that much easy. One has only the face to aid
in making judgement. The task of judging emotions would be easier it the subject coukd see
the face in action. General body posture including the position ofthe hands and shoutders
add in judging the emotions. If cne knows the situation that led up to it, would help the
subject to judge it. Besides the past situation, other factors like intelligenca, certain
personality traits, trainíng andexperience add injudging the ditferent emotions.
G.W. Harturam reported that happier children are more intelligent than the unhappy
children. Happychildren are extrovert. They have wider social experience and have higher
abity of judging eiotional feeling of others.
 (2)
matured children have varieties of hobbies
C.Watson found in his study that socially etc.
interest and engagement in social activities, including games, excursion
Guilford
reading J.P.
varies judge the emotions and feelings of others.
Therefore they develop their abilitytotendency emotional expres
people with neurotic lack in judging the facial
reported that peoplehave higher ability of judgingemotions.
sions. N.L. Munn is of opinion that intelligent
to '65 between intelligence and ability of judging
He found the correlation ranging from '42
emotions.
associated with inner and outer
Studies reveal that emotional expressions areemotions, he can either control his
other's
behaviour of an indìvidual. lf one can read the consequences. Painters by their
behaviour or can himself prepare to avoid the negative
direct the behaviour of the masses
paintings and leaders by their facial emotional expressions
as desired to fulfil their aims.

Objectives: of judging emotions of others.

The objectives of such study is to know one's abilityknowing emotional expressions
Facial ermotional feelings lead one's future behaviour. By enables the educators and
one can be more cautious in further dealings. Such study expressions
psychologists to develop the ability in children to judge the emotions by facial
oY cthers.

understand their
Children should be taught to judge the emotions of others to
expected inner and outer behaviour.

Experimental Design:
Problem :To study the ability of judging the emotions by photographs.
Material:Aset of ten photograp's, stopwatch, a list of emotions and a recording
sheet.

Procedure :
The subject is to be seated at ease. He should be told that some photographs would
the
be shown to him. He has to judge the emotional expressions on the face of
photographs.
Part I 1. Arrange the photographs by serial number.
2. Show him the photographs one by one.
3. Ask him to tell the emotion as judged by him from the photographs. Note down
the responses on the scoring sheet.
4. Make a note of response time.
5 Ask the ievel of confidence of correctness of response in percentage in each
photograph.
Part II1. Provide the list of emotions.
2. Resuífle the set of photographs.
 (3)

3 Present the photographs in random order.

4. Ask him to tell emotions and note down the responses with response time.
G Ask the level of confidence of correctness of responses in
percentage of each
photograph.

Instructions

Sit comfortably, I willshow you a set of photographs one by one. You have to judge
the emotion of the photograph and tell me.
In the second part of the experiment you would be provided a list of emotions.On
oresenting the photograph you have to judge the emotion of the photograph and tsll me the
emotion selecting from the list. In each response you have to tell the level of confidence in
percentage of correctness.

In theend you have to write an introspection report based on both the parts.
Analysis :

1. Examine the correct response in both the paris. Allot one mark for one correct
response.
and
2. Find out the mean of scores and time of the responses taken in botn the paris
compare it.
both
3. Discuss whether the pleasant responses are more correct to the unpleasant in
the parts separately and compare it, explain why ?
4. Compare the percentage of correctness in both the parts.
5. Discuss the nature of photographs in wnich the subject takes more time.
6. Analyse the introspection report and campare with your findings.
time.
7. Prepare tables and graphs of both the parts of scores and
8. DisCuss the result and find out the conclusion.

Extra work:

and compare with the mean time

I. ind out the mean time of the group of both the parts
of your subject separately.
responses of both the parts of your subject with
C. Compare the mean scores of correct
the meanscores of the group. Discuss the result.
of judging emotions.
O. Correlative level of intelligence with level of abilitytraits
relationship beiween certain personality and ability of judging ermotions.
* Find out judging emotions, if any.
ind out the age and sex diffeience in ability of
o. Compare your result with findings reported in books.
 (4)

CORRECT AESPONCES

Photograph No. Correct response

1. Penitence

2. Winning Smile

3. Anger

4. Surprise

5. Laughter

6. Haughtiness

7. Serious Thought

8. Grief

. Peiisice thought

10. Terror

Ralerences:
1. Coeman J.C. : Facial Expression of Emotional Psychology, Monog, 1949.
2. G t JP.
: Generat Psychology, New York Van Nostrand 1939.
3. nis}L. : Psychoiogy, the Human Adjustment, George G Harrop &Co. Lid.,
Londor, 1965.
4. Wod warth R.S. : Experimenta! PsychoBoCy Hoit New York, 1966.