title: Virtual faces expressing emotions: an initial concomitant and construct validity study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Facial expressions of emotions represent classic stimuli for the study of social cognition. Developing virtual dynamic facial expressions of emotions, however, would open-up possibilities, both for fundamental and clinical research. For instance, virtual faces allow real-time Human-Computer retroactions between physiological measures and the virtual agent.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The goal of this study was to initially assess concomitants and construct validity of a newly developed set of virtual faces expressing six fundamental emotions (happiness, surprise, anger, sadness, fear, and disgust). Recognition rates, facial electromyography (zygomatic major and corrugator supercilii muscles), and regional gaze fixation latencies (eyes and mouth regions) were compared in 41 adult volunteers (20 ♂, 21 ♀) during the presentation of video clips depicting real vs. virtual adults expressing emotions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Emotions expressed by each set of stimuli were similarly recognized, both by men and women. Accordingly, both sets of stimuli elicited similar activation of facial muscles and similar ocular fixation times in eye regions from man and woman participants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Further validation studies can be performed with these virtual faces among clinical populations known to present social cognition difficulties. Brain-Computer Interface studies with feedback-feedforward interactions based on facial emotion expressions can also be conducted with these stimuli.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières , Trois-Rivières, QC , Canada ; Research Center, Philippe-Pinel Institute of Montreal , Montreal, QC , Canada.
authors.forename: Christian C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Joyal
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières , Trois-Rivières, QC , Canada.
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jacob
authors.affiliation: Department of Criminology, University of Montreal , Montreal, QC , Canada.
authors.forename: Marie-Hélène
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Cigna
authors.affiliation: Research Center, Philippe-Pinel Institute of Montreal , Montreal, QC , Canada ; Department of Criminology, University of Montreal , Montreal, QC , Canada.
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Guay
authors.affiliation: Research Center, Philippe-Pinel Institute of Montreal , Montreal, QC , Canada ; Department of Psychology, University of Quebec in Outaouais , Gatineau, QC , Canada.
authors.forename: Patrice
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Renaud
keywords: emotions; expressions; facial; validation; virtual