Effects of male anxiety chemosignals on the evaluation of happy facial expressions

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftForschungsartikelBeigetragenBegutachtung

Beitragende

  • Rebekka Zernecke - , Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) (Autor:in)
  • Katrin Haegler - , Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) (Autor:in)
  • Anna Maria Kleemann - , Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) (Autor:in)
  • Jessica Albrecht - , Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU), Monell Chemical Senses Center (Autor:in)
  • Tilman Frank - , Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) (Autor:in)
  • Jennifer Linn - , Klinikum der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) (Autor:in)
  • Hartmut Brückmann - , Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) (Autor:in)
  • Martin Wiesmann - , Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen (Autor:in)

Abstract

The communication of chemosensory alarm signals is well explored in mammals. In humans the effects of anxiety substances mightseem to be less important due to their high-developed visual system, and their sophisticated ability to communicate via speech and bodylanguage. Nevertheless, an increasing number of studies suggest an effect of chemosignals of anxiety on human physiology and behavior. In thepresent study two kinds of human sweat were collected from 21 males during a bicycle workout and a visit of a high rope course, and were thenapplied to 15 different healthy male participants during an emotion evaluation task. Participants were instructed to rate emotional male faces ofdifferent morphing levels (neutral-happy) by using a visual analog scale under exposure of three different samples (exercise sweat, anxiety sweat,and control material). Our study revealed that men rated happy faces as less happy under the influence of anxiety sweat compared to the exerciseand the control conditions; significant differences were demonstrated only for ambiguous emotional faces. In conclusion, chemosignals of anxietycomprised in human sweat are communicated between males; they diminish the evaluation of ambiguous happy male facial expressions in menand thereby influence the perception of emotional faces.

Details

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Seiten (von - bis)116-123
Seitenumfang8
FachzeitschriftJournal of Psychophysiology
Jahrgang25
Ausgabenummer3
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - 2011
Peer-Review-StatusJa
Extern publiziertJa

Schlagworte

Ziele für nachhaltige Entwicklung

Schlagwörter

  • Emotions, Fear, Human body odors, Olfaction