I N T E R D I S C I P L I N A RY AFFECTIVE SCIENCE L A B O R AT O RY
Emotion AI: Separating Facts From Fictions
Lisa Feldman Barrett, Ph.D. Northeastern University
Massachusetts General Hospital
Emotions are universally displayed on the face with expressions we recognize. N O. 1
fl
Con ating observations and inferences
Reliability vs. False Positives 1 0.9 0.8 0.7 .62
0.6 0.5
.60
.55
.58 .52
.50 .42
0.4 .35
0.3
.28 .25 .20
0.2
.13
0.1 0
N=3
N=1
N=5 N=3
Anger
Disgust
Fear
Happiness
N=2
Sadness
N=16
Surprise
Duran & Fernandez-Dols (2021) Le Mau et al (2021)
Barrett, Adolphs, et al. (2019)
Actual Movements vs. Perceptions 1 0.9 .79
0.8 0.7
.68
.68 .65 .61
0.6
.58
0.5 .42
0.4 .35
0.3
.28 .25 .20
0.2
.13
0.1 0
N=3
N=1
N=5 N=3
N=2
N=16
Duran & Fernandez-Dols (2021) Elfenbein & Ambady (2002)
Barrett, Adolphs, et al. (2019)
Small Scale Cultures: 1969-2007
Fore of Papua New Guinea Ekman, Sorenson & Friesen (1969) Sadong of Borneo Ekman et al. (1969)
Fore of Papua New Guinea Ekman & Freisen (1971) Dani of Indonesia (Western New Guinea) Ekman (1972)
Gendron et al. (2018). Current Directions in Psychological Science
Small Scale Cultures: 2008-2020
Shuar of Amazonian Ecuador Bryant & Barrett (2008)
Dioula of Burkina Faso Tracy & Robins (2008)
Himba of Namibia (2 samples) Gendron et al. (2014)
Hadza of Tanzania Gendron et al. (2020)
Trobrianders of Papua New Guinea Crivelli, Jarillo et al. (2016)
Mwani of Mozambique Crivelli, Jarillo et al. (2016)
Trobrianders of Papua New Guinea (2 samples) Crivelli, Russell et al. (2016) Trobrianders of Papua New Guinea (2 samples) Crivelli, Russell et al. (2017) Gendron et al. (2018). Current Directions in Psychological Science
19
STEREOTYPES Barrett, Adolphs, Marsella, Martinez, & Pollak (2019), PSPI.
Variation is the norm
Le Mau et al (2021). Nature Communications
Physical signals have no inherent psychological meaning
Barrett (2022) American Psychologist
Anger
Physical signals have no inherent psychological meaning
Barrett (2022) American Psychologist
Oxygen
Glucose
Vibration
Your brain models the sensory surfaces of the body
Brightness
Muscle tension Barrett (2022) American Psychologist
Barrett (2017). SCAN Barrett (2022). American Psychologist Barrett (2017). How Emotions Are Made
Makes Meaning
Each emotion has a dedicated pattern of bodily changes that is universal. N O. 2
Anger
Fear
Disgust
Happy
Sad
0.2
0.4
0.6
Neutral
Heart Rate
Cardiac Output
Total Peripheral Resistance
Heart Rate Variability
Diastolic Blood Pressure
Systolic Blood Pressure
Respiration Rate
Skin Conductance Level Skin Conductance Response -0.4
-0.2
0
Change in signal during instance of emotion
0.8 Siegel et al. (2018). Psychological Bulletin
32
Physiological changes are linked to actions
Obrist et al. (1970); Obrist (1981)
Siegel et al. (2018). Psych Bull
fi
Hoemann et al. (2020). Scienti c Reports
Siegel et al. (2018). Psych Bull
fi
Hoemann et al. (2020). Scienti c Reports
Siegel et al. (2018). Psych Bull
fi
Hoemann et al. (2020). Scienti c Reports
A relational view of emotional meaning
Low Glucose
Barrett (2017). SCAN Barrett (2022). American Psychologist Barrett (2017). How Emotions Are Made
A relational view of emotional meaning
Hunger Low Glucose
Barrett (2017). SCAN Barrett (2022). American Psychologist Barrett (2017). How Emotions Are Made
A relational view of emotional meaning
Low Glucose
Fatigue
Barrett (2017). SCAN Barrett (2022). American Psychologist Barrett (2017). How Emotions Are Made
A relational view of emotional meaning
Low Glucose
Sadness
Barrett (2017). SCAN Barrett (2022). American Psychologist Barrett (2017). How Emotions Are Made
There are dedicated emotion circuits in the brain.
N O. 3
Top of brain
Left
Right Bottom of brain
Amygdala
Lindquist et al. (2012), BBS.
Proportion of Studies Reporting Increased Amygdala Activity 0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Anger Disgust Fear Happy Sad
Lindquist et al. (2012), BBS.
s e t a d i d n a c y r e g r u s y s p e l i p e n i s e d o r l e ct Front of brain
300-600 ms after onset of a threat only when the patient is paying attention
Back of Brain
Amygdala Thanks to Ralph Adolphs for the image!
Wang et al (2019) Brain Mormann et al (2008) J Neuroscience
Monozygotic Twins with Amygdala Lesions : Degeneracy Edelman & Gally (2001) PNAS
Amygdala Lesions Front of brain
Back of Brain
BG
AM Becker et al. (2012) Biological Psychiatry
Variation in Patterns for Fear Barrett (2017); Doyle et al. (2022)
Wager et al. (2015)
Kragel et al. (2015)
N = 148 studies
N = 32 (59% female)
Azari, Westlin et al. (under review) N = 16 (50% female)
A pattern is a statistical summary, not a brain state. Clark-Polner, Johnson & Barrett (2017) Cerebral Cortex
Variation is real.
The signals in your brain constrains this variation to create meaning
Barrett (2017). SCAN Barrett (2022). American Psychologist Barrett (2017). How Emotions Are Made
We reify those experiences and assume that we are detecting experiences
Barrett (2017). SCAN Barrett (2022). American Psychologist Barrett (2017). How Emotions Are Made
Rather than creating them.
Emotions that seem to happen to you are made by you.
Barrett (2017). SCAN Barrett (2022). American Psychologist Barrett (2017). How Emotions Are Made
The emotions you seem to detect in other people are partly inside your own head.
Barrett (2017). SCAN Barrett (2022). American Psychologist Barrett (2017). How Emotions Are Made
Barrett (2017). SCAN Barrett (2022). American Psychologist Barrett (2017). How Emotions Are Made
Thank You.