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Universality Revisited
Nicole L. Nelson and James A. Russell
Emotion Review 2013 5: 8
DOI: 10.1177/1754073912457227
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457227
2013
Emotion Review
Vol. 5, No. 1 (January 2013) 815
The Author(s) 2013
ISSN 1754-0739
DOI: 10.1177/1754073912457227
er.sagepub.com
Universality Revisited
Nicole L. Nelson
James A. Russell
Abstract
Evidence does not support the claim that observers universally recognize basic emotions from signals on the face. The percentage of
observers who matched the face with the predicted emotion (matching score) is not universal, but varies with culture and language.
Matching scores are also inflated by the commonly used methods: within-subject design; posed, exaggerated facial expressions
(devoid of context); multiple examples of each type of expression; and a response format that funnels a variety of interpretations
into one word specified by the experimenter. Without these methodological aids, matching scores are modest and subject to various
explanations.
Keywords
culture, emotion, facial expression, universality
Author note: This research was supported by two grants from the National Science Foundation: No. 1025563 awarded to James A. Russell and No. 1064757 awarded to Nicole
L. Nelson. We thank Erin Heitzman, Alan Fridlund, Rachael Jack, Mary Kayyal, Joe Pochedley, Alyssa McCarthy, and Sherri Widen for comments on a draft of this article.
Corresponding author: Nicole L. Nelson, Department of Psychology, Brock University, 500 Glenridge Ave., St. Catharines, Ontario L2S 3A1, Canada. Email: nnelson@brocku.ca
Table 1. Average matching scores for Western literate, non-Western literate, and isolated illiterate samples based on the standard method
Facial expression
Happiness
Sadness
Pre-1994
19922010
Pre-1994
19922010
Pre-1994
19922010
95.1
88.6
86.5
74.2
87.1
90.7
75.1
67.1
92.0
84.0
53.5
51.0
Overall Mean
89.6
67.9
Anger
Fear
55.3
Surprise
Disgust
Mean
87.4
81.3
81.1
64.7
77.7
86.0
69.0
51.6
36.0*
58.0
29.0*
44.0
84.4
75.5
72.3
67.1
52.1
50.0
71.1
56.6
Note: Matching score is the percentage of observers who selected the predicted label. Pre-1994 refers to articles reviewed by Russell (1994); 19922010 refers to articles
summarized in the Appendix. Average is a mean, except matching scores for the pre-1994 illiterate isolated samples are sometimes medians (marked with an *) because some
sample values were not provided in the primary source.
Figure 1. Matching scores are the percentage of observers who selected the predicted label of studies in the Appendix (i.e., studies published between
1992 and 2010) for six facial expressions. Error bars represent standard error, except for the illiterate isolated sample, for which there is but one sample.
Table 2. Literate Western (bold) versus literate non-Western comparisons of matching scores
Study
Society/Culture
Facial expression
N
Happiness
92.2
90.4
Sadness
Anger
Fear
Surprise
Disgust
Mean
56.0
38.0
29.0
50.0
45.0
49.0
33.0
28.0
27.0
56.0
49.0
46.0
52.4
46.2
45.4
88.0
83.0
81.0
80.0
85.0
87.0
79.0
81.0
69.0
74.0
57.0
67.0
89.0
94.0
89.0
92.0
83.0
84.0
76.0
58.0
85.3
86.7
80.2
79.5
71.0
41.0
72.0
63.0
68.0
50.0
62.0
32.0
72.2
53.2
54.0
39.5
68.5
79.0
65.0
51.5
77.0
75.0
49.5
82.0
78.0
92.5
34.5
53.5
20.0
70.0
68.3
63.4
89.0
90.0
89.0
80.0
88.0
64.0
84.0
91.0
88.0
69.0
65.7
47.8
52.3
54.7
78.7
88.6
89.5
82.2
72.5
70.1
83.0
62.0
88.0
53.0
85.0
65.0
77.0
82.0
85.0
70.0
65.0
80.0
71.0
50.0
74.0
78.0
70.8
76.0
86.7
76.7
80.0
73.3
46.7
56.7
66.7
23.3
53.3
76.7
83.3
93.3
56.7
56.7
30.0
88.3
68.5
77.3
82.3
77.7
68.8
76.7
64.5
68.9
73.8
63.7
73.6
59.1
71.5
50.9
83.2
90.0
64.7
48.5
76.9
65.9
Note: Matching score is the percentage of observers who selected the predicted label.
Table 3. Matching scores from isolated illiterate observers, based on the standard method
Society/Culture
Language tested in
Facial expression
Happiness
Sadness
Anger
Fear
Burkinabea
Foreb
Foreb
Sadongb
Surprise
Disgust
Median
58.0
44.0
38.0
<19.0c
36.0
29.0
44.0
<23.0c
47.5
50.0
46.0
47.5
<37.0
<36.5
Appendix
39
Dioula
84.0
51.0
33.0
18
14
15
Neo-Melanesian Pidgin
Fore
Bidayuh
99.0
82.0
92.0
55.0
N/A
52.0
56.0
50.0
64.0
88.0
52.0
53.0
Median
30.0
Pre-1994
46.0
54.0
40.0
43.0
Note: Matching score is the percentage of observers who selected the predicted label.
aTracy and Robins (2008); bEkman, Sorenson, and Friesen (1969); cModal choice was another emotion, and no matching score was given, although it was less than the figure
presented here.
Table 4. Differences due to language: Mean matching score of within-study comparisons of language
Society/Culture
Language
Indiana
English
Hindi
Mexicanb
English
Spanish
Burkinabec
French
Moore
Palestiniand
English
Arabic
Mean English
Mean non-English
Facial expression
Happiness
Sadness
Anger
Fear
Surprise
Disgust
Mean
99.0
99.0
94.0
90.0
90.0
89.0
81.0
74.0
90.0
90.0
90.0
78.0
68.0
62.0
58.0
58.0
65.0
56.0
87.0
77.0
57.0
41.0
92.0
96.0
75.0
52.0
60.0
54.0
65.0
67.0
62.5
66.5
85.0
65.0
73.0
53.0
62.0
44.0
75.0
88.0
90.8
88.4
70.8
62.0
73.0
67.3
71.5
63.3
83.8
86.3
82.3
68.8
73.7
62.8
73.0
65.5
79.7
70.3
66.0
64.5
76.4
69.7
Note: Matching score is the percentage of observers who selected the predicted label. Kayyal and Russell (2012) allowed observers to attribute more than one emotion to a
single expression. The data presented here represent the percentage of observers who selected the target category as one of the emotions conveyed by the expression.
aMatsumoto and Assar (1992); bMatsumoto, Angus-Wong, and Martinez (2008); cTcherkasoff and de Suremain (2005); dKayyal and Russell (2012).
expressions posed with the purpose of conveying a single emotion as clearly as possible and then selected from a larger set as
the best at doing so. Our search turned up two studies of spontaneous expressions. Shown photos of spontaneous expressions
predicted to convey a single basic emotion, British, American,
and Japanese observers yielded matching scores ranging from
31% to 35% (Matsumoto, Olide, Schug, Willingham, & Callan,
2009). Similarly, shown photos of spontaneous expressions
provided by Ekman (1980) to illustrate the universality thesis,
American observers yielded a mean matching score of 35%
(Naab & Russell, 2007). Both studies produced matching scores
noticeably lower than the overall mean (70.9%) from studies in
the Appendix, which used posed expressions. Use of posed
expressions inflates matching scores relative to spontaneous
expressions.
Response Format
The standard method uses a forced-choice response format in
which observers select one emotion from a short list provided by
the experimenter. This format creates many problems. Here, we
highlight three. First, the observers spontaneous interpretation
of a facial expression is not limited to emotions. Observers reliably report social messages (Yik & Russell, 1999), incipient
actions (Tcherkassof & de Suremain, 2005), and the antecedent
situation (Widen, 2013) or its appraisal (Scherer & Grandjean,
2008). The standard forced-choice format channels all interpretations into an emotional one.
Second, when observers were allowed to attribute more than
one emotion to an expression, they did so. In one study, they
selected for each face, on average, four of the eight available
emotions (Kayyal & Russell, 2012). Quantitative ratings similarly show that observers see multiple basic emotions in the
same face, albeit to different degrees (Beaupr & Hess, 2005;
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Appendix
Matching scores from cross-cultural judgment studies, 1992 to 2010
Society/Culture
Canadiana
Canadianb
Canadianc
Frenchd
Hungariane
Indianf
Indiang
Indianh
Indianh
Mexicani
Mexicani
Polishe
Americanj
Americanf
Americang
Americank
Americanl
Americanl
Europeanm
Europeanl
Burkinabed
Burkinabed
Chinesen
Chinesea
Chineseo
Chinesej
Gaboneseb
Japanesef
Japanesek
Japanesep
Japanesec
Hong Kongc
Sumatrane
Tibetann
No. of
expression sets
20
20
30
96
45
50
40
100
100
274
274
75
37
50
40
138
72
102
13
30
12
8
1
4
8
4
1
8
8
8
8
8
16
4
1
4
11
11
8
11
48
48
32
20
237
38
20
50
137
123
30
30
32
11
4
4
4
12
7
16
8
4
4
8
1
1
8
4
Language
Facial expression
Happiness
Sadness
Anger
Fear
Surprise
Disgust
Mean
33.0
68.0
66.7
85.0
74.0
75.0
55.0
81.0
74.0
65.0
56.0
69.0
63.8
77.0
55.0
74.0
78.0
88.0
70.8
76.7
94.0
78.0
42.5
90.0
90.0
87.0
77.0
89.0
89.9
82.0
80.0
78.7
84.0
-
56.0
62.0
56.7
84.0
53.5
82.5
57.0
41.0
83.0
34.5
78.0
88.0
-
52.4
72.2
76.7
88.3
86.7
68.3
57.9
90.8
88.4
70.8
62.0
85.3
80.7
70.0
76.2
72.5
77.3
82.3
89.5
77.7
65.0
67.0
21.0
28.0
56.0
61.2
50.0
49.5
44.5
53.3
23.3
57.0
16.0
74.0
76.0
90.0
92.5
88.6
89.2
93.3
83.3
89.0
73.0
54.0
49.0
50.0
32.0
20.0
63.7
30.0
56.7
76.0
66.0
73.0
67.3
63.0
46.2
70.0
77.0
53.0
63.0
70.0
69.0
69.0
64.0
80.0
63.0
(Continued)
Appendix (Continued)
Society/Culture
Vietnamesee
Africanl
Sub-Saharan
Africana
East Asianm
Burkinabeq
Overall mean
No. of
expression sets
Language
34
30
20
8
11
12
?
English
French
13
English
39
Dioula
Facial expression
Happiness
Sadness
Anger
Fear
Surprise
Disgust
Mean
99.0
79.0
76.0
80.0
70.0
29.0
81.0
50.0
49.0
67.0
76.0
27.0
92.0
-
58.0
46.0
80.0
69.0
45.4
99.0
90.0
80.0
Illiterate cultures (1 sample)
84.0
51.0
33.0
64.0
91.0
69.0
82.0
30.0
58.0
44.0
50.0
58.5
82.5
57.3
70.9
89.6
70.2
67.3
Note: Matching score is the percentage of observers who selected the predicted label.
aBeaupr and Hess (2005); bElfenbein et al. (2007); cYik and Russell (1999); dTcherkasoff and de Suremain (2005); eBiehl et al. (1997); fElfenbein et al. (2004); gHaidt and
Keltner (1999); hMatsumoto and Assar (1992); iMatsumoto et al. (2008); jElfenbein (2006); kMatsumoto et al. (2002); lWickline et al. (2009); mJack et al. (2009); nElfenbein
and Ambady (2003); oHuang, Tang, Helmeste, Shioiri, and Someya (2001); pShioiri, Someya, Helmeste, and Tang (1999); qTracy and Robins (2008).