Detecting emotion faces in a Posner’s spatial cueing task: the adaptive value of surprise

Abstract

[EN]The expression of surprise may increase the efficiency in the detection of the facial expression of fear because surprise and fear share similarities in their facial expression that favour the priming effect. We have conducted two studies to investigate this issue using a spatial cueing paradigm, with facial expressions of fear, anger, happiness and neutral as targets, and the expressions of surprise and neutral as prime. The surprise prime was more efficient than the neutral one solely in the detection of the expression of fear. When the prime was a facial expression of surprise, the detection of facial expressions of fear was more efficient than that of anger, happiness and neutra. The results are discussed according to the adaptive function of the facial expressions of surprise in unexpected situations in which a rapid and accurate response to stimuli warning of the presence of a potential threat are key to the survival.