Species-Typical Behaviors and Human Emotional Expressions

Species-Typical Behaviors

• Species-typical behaviors arise from evolution and can be influenced by learning.

Human Emotional Expressions

• Darwin emphasized that humans communicate emotions through body posture and facial expressions.

• Facial expressions linked to specific emotions are universal, even in those born blind (Darwin, 1872/1965).

Ekman and Friesen's Research

• Developed an atlas of six basic emotions: surprise, fear, disgust, anger, happiness, sadness (1975, 1982).

• Cross-cultural studies found consistent descriptions of emotions across varied cultures, including isolated tribes.

Nonverbal Signals by Eibl-Eibesfeldt

• Documented universal nonverbal signals like the "eyebrow flash."

• Observed this greeting across diverse cultures, demonstrating a common nonverbal language.

• Noticed that children born blind express emotions similarly to sighted children, supporting biological predisposition.

Cultural Influence on Emotional Expression

• While there are universal expressions, cultural differences exist in their usage.

• For example, the eyebrow flash is primarily used among children in Japan but widely among adults in Samoa.

• Cultural dialects within emotional expressions imply that context matters in how emotions are conveyed and interpreted.