Emotional Facial Expression Recognition And Pro-social Behavior Relationship - Approach - Avoidance Motive Theory Angle Of View

Emotional facial expressions are the external performance of emotion, through the changes of eye muscles, facial muscles and mouth muscles to express emotional states(Danling Peng,2004). Human has been formed systematic reaction to others’ emotions, so emotional facial expressions not only are indexes of individual inner state, the other people’s facial expressions recognition also provides the basis of judgment and reaction for individual social behavior. Accurate identification of facial expressions is very important for interpersonal communication. Prosocial behaviors are the opposite of negative behaviors such as violence(Weisberg,1972). Many behaviors in common social life can be regarded as the typical prosocial behaviors, for example helping, sharing, cooperation, comfort, donation, sympathy, care for, self-sacrifice and so on. There are many factors influence prosocial behaviors, cognitive factors and emotional factors have been paid more attention. Cognitive factors include perspective taking, moral judgment, value orientation, ego cognition, etc. Emotional factors are empathy, mood, etc. Emotional facial expressions recognition ability can be regard as a combination of cognitive and emotional factors. Our study tested the relationship between emotional facial expression recognition and prosocial behavior with71adults, and provided the reasons of the relationship from approach and avoidance motivation perspectives.The main conclusions of the research were as follows:(1) The abilities of fear, anger and happy facial expressions recognition were different, happy expression recognition was the best on20%intensity; fear expression recognition was the worst on40%intensity; anger expression recognition was the best on60%and80%intensity.(2) Fear, anger, happy expression recognition accuracy increased following the increased of intensity significantly.(3) The ability of fear expression recognition of low intensity predicted prosocial behaviors positively, when high intensity was exactly the opposite; Accuracy of moderate happy facial expression predicted prosocial behavior positively.(4) Moderate happy expression induced the observer’s approach motivation.(5) Angry expressions on low intensity induced observer’s avoidance motivation; along with the increased of intensity, angry expressions induced observer’s approach motivation on the contrary. (6) Low intensity fear expressions induced observer’s approach motivation; avoidance motivation was induced along with the increased of intensity instead.