Hostility and facial expression in young men and women: is social regulation more important than negative affect?
Behavioral differences may clarify the link between hostility and health. This study examined facial expression. Seventy-two low- and high-hostile undergraduates underwent the Type A Structured Interview (SI) and a test of social anxiety. Facial behavior was measured with the Facial Action Coding System. Low-hostile participants displayed non-Duchenne smiles more frequently than high-hostile participants during the SI. There were no group differences in the expression of disgust. The results identify differences in the nonverbal behavior of hostile people. Restricted use of non-Duchenne smiles may reflect limited use of appeasement, contributing to uncomfortable interpersonal relations and limited social support. The findings are consistent with a behavioral ecology perspective and suggest that social regulation may be as important as negative affect in determining the consequences of hostility.
Prkachin
Kenneth M
KM
Psychology Program, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, Canada. kmprk@unbc.ca
Silverman
Barbara E
BE
D000339:Affect; D005149:Facial Expression; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006791:Hostility; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D009633:Nonverbal Communication / Q000523:psychology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012904:Smiling; D012926:Social Control, Formal; D012944:Social Support