School of Psychology.
School of Social Sciences and Psychology, University of Western Sydney.
Emotion. 2014 Jun;14(3):532-544. doi: 10.1037/a0035825. Epub 2014 May 5.
Electromyographic (EMG) research suggests that implicit mimicry of happy facial expressions remains intact with age. However, age-related differences in EMG responses to enjoyment and nonenjoyment smiles have not been explored. The present study assessed younger and older adults' orbicularis oculi (O.oculi; eye) and zygomaticus major (Z.major; cheek) reactions to images of individuals displaying enjoyment and nonenjoyment smiles. Both age groups mimicked displays of enjoyment smiles, and there were no age differences in O.oculi and Z.major activity to these expressions. However, compared with younger participants, older adults showed extended O.oculi activity to nonenjoyment smiles. In an explicit ratings task, older adults were also more likely than younger participants to attribute feelings of happiness to individuals displaying both nonenjoyment and enjoyment smiles. However, participants' ratings of the happiness expressed in images of enjoyment and nonenjoyment smiles were independent of their O.oculi responding to these expressions, suggesting that mimicry and emotion recognition may reflect separate processes. Potential mechanisms underlying these findings, as well as implications for social affiliation in older adulthood, are considered.
肌电图（EMG）研究表明，随着年龄的增长，对快乐面部表情的内隐模仿仍然完好无损。然而，对于享受和不享受微笑的 EMG 反应与年龄相关的差异尚未得到探索。本研究评估了年轻和年长成年人对展示享受和不享受微笑的个体的图像的眼轮匝肌（O.oculi；眼睛）和颧大肌（Z.major；脸颊）反应。两个年龄组都模仿了享受微笑的表情，并且对于这些表情，O.oculi 和 Z.major 的活动没有年龄差异。然而，与年轻参与者相比，年长成年人对不享受的微笑表现出更长时间的 O.oculi 活动。在一个明确的评分任务中，与年轻参与者相比，年长成年人更有可能将幸福感归因于同时展示不享受和享受微笑的个体。然而，参与者对享受和不享受微笑的图像中表达的幸福感的评分与他们对这些表情的 O.oculi 反应无关，这表明模仿和情绪识别可能反映了不同的过程。考虑了这些发现的潜在机制，以及它们对老年社交联系的影响。
