title: Sex differences in the rapid detection of emotional facial expressions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous studies have shown that females and males differ in the processing of emotional facial expressions including the recognition of emotion, and that emotional facial expressions are detected more rapidly than are neutral expressions. However, whether the sexes differ in the rapid detection of emotional facial expressions remains unclear.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We measured reaction times (RTs) during a visual search task in which 44 females and 46 males detected normal facial expressions of anger and happiness or their anti-expressions within crowds of neutral expressions. Anti-expressions expressed neutral emotions with visual changes quantitatively comparable to normal expressions. We also obtained subjective emotional ratings in response to the facial expression stimuli. RT results showed that both females and males detected normal expressions more rapidly than anti-expressions and normal-angry expressions more rapidly than normal-happy expressions. However, females and males showed different patterns in their subjective ratings in response to the facial expressions. Furthermore, sex differences were found in the relationships between subjective ratings and RTs. High arousal was more strongly associated with rapid detection of facial expressions in females, whereas negatively valenced feelings were more clearly associated with the rapid detection of facial expressions in males.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that females and males differ in their subjective emotional reactions to facial expressions and in the emotional processes that modulate the detection of facial expressions.
authors.affiliation: Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, Japan.
authors.forename: Reiko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sawada
authors.affiliation: Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, Japan.
authors.forename: Wataru
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.affiliation: Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, Japan.
authors.forename: Takanori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kochiyama
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Human Health Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Shota
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uono
authors.affiliation: Health and Medical Services Center, Shiga University, Otsu, Shiga, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kubota
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Human Health Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Sayaka
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoshimura
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Human Health Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Motomi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Toichi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004644:Emotions; D005149:Facial Expression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011930:Reaction Time; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult
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