Automated measurement of infant and mother Duchenne facial expressions in the Face-to-Face/Still-Face.

Although still-face effects are well-studied, little is known about the degree to which the Face-to-Face/Still-Face (FFSF) is associated with the production of intense affective displays. Duchenne smiling expresses more intense positive affect than non-Duchenne smiling, while Duchenne cry-faces express more intense negative affect than non-Duchenne cry-faces. Forty 4-month-old infants and their mothers completed the FFSF, and key affect-indexing facial Action Units (AUs) were coded by expert Facial Action Coding System coders for the first 30 s of each FFSF episode. Computer vision software, automated facial affect recognition (AFAR), identified AUs for the entire 2-min episodes. Expert coding and AFAR produced similar infant and mother Duchenne and non-Duchenne FFSF effects, highlighting the convergent validity of automated measurement. Substantive AFAR analyses indicated that both infant Duchenne and non-Duchenne smiling declined from the FF to the SF, but only Duchenne smiling increased from the SF to the RE. In similar fashion, the magnitude of mother Duchenne smiling changes over the FFSF were 2-4 times greater than non-Duchenne smiling changes. Duchenne expressions appear to be a sensitive index of intense infant and mother affective valence that are accessible to automated measurement and may be a target for future FFSF research.

Effect of the ethnic, profession, gender, and social background on the perception of upper dental midline deviations in smile esthetics by Chinese and Black raters.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to compare the perception of upper dental midline deviation on the attractiveness of a smile among raters from different ethnicities, professions, genders, and ages and measure to what extent the presence or absence of the associated smiling structures influence the raters' evaluations. METHODS: A male subject (26 years of age) with adequate smile characteristics was selected by 3 experienced orthodontists, and 561 raters from 2 different ethnic groups (281 Chinese raters and 280 Black raters) rated the subject's smile after the subject's upper dental midline was digitally altered from 0 to 5 mm using a 5-point Likert scale on 12 smile photographs divided into two groups: group 1, in the presence of smile related structures, two-thirds of the nose, lips, and chin (NLC), and group 2, in the absence of smile related structures, the lips only (L). RESULTS: There were statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) between the two ethnicities, in 2 mm and 4 mm in-group NLC and 5 mm in-group L, as well as the raters' profession to each midline shift of both groups (NLC) and (L) for both ethnicities except for 0 mm. Regarding the role of associated smile structures, the smile photos were observed in the presence of smile-associated structures, and in its absence (NLC × L), statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were found when the deviation was 5 mm among the Chinese raters; in 1 mm, and 4 mm among the Black raters. Among different genders, statistical differences were only reported (p < 0.05) for Chinese raters for 5 mm in NLC, while statistical differences were observed for 2 mm and 3 mm in NLC for Black raters. For age categories, differences were observed (p < 0.05) for 4 mm, 5 mm in NLC and 4 mm, and 5 mm in L for Chinese raters, while 5 mm in NLC and 1 mm in L for Black raters. CONCLUSION: Perception of the upper dental midline deviations was influenced by the factors of ethnicity, profession, presence or absence of smile-associated structures, as well as the gender and age of the raters.

The Power of Smiling: The Adult Brain Networks Underlying Learned Infant Emotionality.

The perception of infant emotionality, one aspect of temperament, starts to form in infancy, yet the underlying mechanisms of how infant emotionality affects adult neural dynamics remain unclear. We used a social reward task with probabilistic visual and auditory feedback (infant laughter or crying) to train 47 nulliparous women to perceive the emotional style of six different infants. Using functional neuroimaging, we subsequently measured brain activity while participants were tested on the learned emotionality of the six infants. We characterized the elicited patterns of dynamic functional brain connectivity using Leading Eigenvector Dynamics Analysis and found significant activity in a brain network linking the orbitofrontal cortex with the amygdala and hippocampus, where the probability of occurrence significantly correlated with the valence of the learned infant emotional disposition. In other words, seeing infants with neutral face expressions after having interacted and learned their various degrees of positive and negative emotional dispositions proportionally increased the activity in a brain network previously shown to be involved in pleasure, emotion, and memory. These findings provide novel neuroimaging insights into how the perception of happy versus sad infant emotionality shapes adult brain networks.

"I'm smiling back at you": Exploring the impact of mask wearing on communication in healthcare.

BACKGROUND: Surgical and respirator masks are worn to reduce the risk of droplet and airborne transmission of viral respiratory disease. As a result of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, mask wearing has been designated mandatory for healthcare professionals working in UK hospitals for the foreseeable future. It is thus timely to consider the long-term implications of mask wearing on communication within healthcare settings, from both a patient and a clinician perspective. AIMS: The primary objective is to identify research evidence that corresponds to the mask-wearing experiences of healthcare professionals working on the ground. By drawing together a summary of the literature illustrating the potential challenges associated with mask wearing, it is possible to make an application to various clinical cohorts and to formulate a set of preliminary, evidence-based support strategies. The paper additionally explores the role for the Speech and Language Therapist (SLT) in supporting communication in the context of mask wearing. METHODS & PROCEDURES: Through a scoping review of the relevant literature, this paper reflects holistically on the prospective challenges associated with mask wearing across a variety of healthcare settings and patient populations. The subsequent conclusions have been used to inform the proposed clinical guidelines for safe and effective practice. OUTCOMES & RESULTS: There is a current research gap with regards to mask wearing in non-medical and non-clinical healthcare workers, and the impact this may have on both a professional and a personal basis. In the absence of preliminary data, the development of associated communication support strategies is hindered. This paper draws upon a variety of clinically conceivable issues faced by healthcare professionals, outlines important practical and ethical considerations, and proposes evidence-based solutions to some of the challenges identified. Future research is required to gather evidence with regards to actual clinical experiences of mask wearing to substantiate hypotheses. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS: Although undoubtedly essential in protecting the health of staff and patients, there are numerous logistical, physiological, psychological, social and economic complications associated with the wearing of masks. The ability of healthcare staff to successfully communicate with patients and with colleagues is jeopardized, which may adversely affect the efficiency, effectiveness, equitability and, most notably, safety of therapeutic intervention. The SLT has a distinct role in facilitating communication in order to safeguard the provision, accessibility and efficacy of services. What this paper adds What is already known on the subject Existing research explores the impact of mask wearing on medical doctors, surgeons and dentists, and upon the corresponding patient cohorts. Little is known about how mask wearing may affect Allied Health Professionals and their ability to deliver therapeutic interventions safely and effectively. With mandatory face covering potentially a long-term requirement for UK healthcare staff, it is both timely and relevant to consider the consequences of mask wearing on communication across acute and community settings. What this paper adds to existing knowledge This paper identifies a range of prospective key issues associated with mask wearing across a variety of clinical and non-clinical populations, with application specifically to vulnerable patient cohorts. Through evidence synthesis, this paper provides a summary of fundamental issues supported by relevant literature, and draws upon these in order to propose a preliminary set of evidence-based clinical guidelines setting out potential solutions to the challenges faced. This review additionally assists in quantifying the role of the SLT within these extraordinary circumstances, with the aim of prompting unified practice, building upon professional guidance and increasing skill recognition. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? In addition to their role in facilitating the development of individualised communication strategies for patients, SLTs should actively seek to provide widely accessible multidisciplinary education opportunities focusing on supporting communication; with specific reference to mask wearing and the associated communicative challenges. At a commissioning and managerial level, leaders within healthcare should acknowledge mask wearing as just one of the complexities associated with frontline working in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and aim to support their workforce by delivering resources and protocols which maximize and promote staff safety, efficiency, resilience and well-being in concurrence with positive patient outcomes.

Smiling asleep: A study of happy emotional expressions during adult sleep.

Human foetuses and newborns smile first during sleep, before they smile while awake and interacting with caregivers. Whether smiling persists during adult sleep, and expresses inner joy, is yet unknown. Smiles were looked for during night-time video-polysomnography combined with electromyography of the zygomatic and orbicularis oculi muscles in 100 controls, 22 patients with sleepwalking and 52 patients with rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behaviour disorder. Autonomous reactions (heart rate and level of vasoconstriction) and the presence of rapid eye movements were examined during smiles and laughs. On visual examination of the face video clips synchronous with zygomatic contraction, 8% of controls smiled while asleep (7% in REM sleep and 1% in non-REM sleep). Some patients with sleepwalking also smiled and laughed during N2 sleep and N3 parasomnia. Half of the patients with REM sleep behaviour disorder smiled and one-third laughed, mostly during REM sleep. The 173 happy faces included mild smiles (24.8%), open-mouth smiles (29.5%) and laughs (45.7%). More than half of the smiles were the Duchenne (genuine) type, including an active closure of the eyelids. Approximately half of the smiles and laughs were temporally associated with rapid eye movements. There was no increased heart rate variability during smiles and laughs. Two scenic behaviours including smiles and laughs suggested that the happy facial expression was associated with a happy dreaming scenario. Smiling and laughing occasionally persist during adult sleep. There are several lines of evidence suggesting that these happy emotional expressions reflect a true inner mirth.

Smiling enemies: Young children better recall mean individuals who smile.

Remembering whether a person is cooperative is essential in social interactions. It has been shown that adults have better memory of a person who showed an incongruence between emotional expression and expected behavior (e.g., smiling while stealing). To examine whether children would show similar emotional incongruity effects, we examined 70 children aged 5 or 6 years. They obtained coins that could be exchanged later for rewards (stickers) by answering quiz questions. Then, they participated in the coin collection game where individual persons with smiling or angry expressions appeared one at a time on a computer monitor. These same individuals then either gave coins to or took coins away from the children, leading to congruent (smiling giver and angry taker) and incongruent (smiling taker and angry giver) conditions. After the game, children needed to choose between two faces to indicate which one previously appeared in the game. Participants recognized faces better under the incongruent conditions. In particular, the smiling taker was recognized significantly better than the angry taker, whereas no difference was observed for the smiling and angry givers. Evidently, 5- and 6-year-olds better remember individuals whose facial expression or appearance is incongruent with their expected behavior.

What's in a smile? A review of the benefits of the clinician's smile.

For millennia, the smile has been recognised as a powerful communication device, offering benefits to both giver and receiver with few drawbacks. A sign of compassion, empathy and friendliness, smiling can benefit healthcare professionals and their patients, helping to build a relationship of trust. But beware the false smile, which is all too easily identified and may do more harm than good. In this review, we explore the literature surrounding smiling in healthcare and beyond, discussing the many reasons to be cheerful, from good health to a happy marriage, among aviators, table waiters, doctors, dentists and even dogs.

Reduced willingness to approach genuine smilers in social anxiety explained by potential for social evaluation, not misperception of smile authenticity.

We investigate perception of, and responses to, facial expression authenticity for the first time in social anxiety, testing genuine and polite smiles. Experiment 1 (N = 141) found perception of smile authenticity was unaffected, but that approach ratings, which are known to be reduced in social anxiety for happy faces, are more strongly reduced for genuine than polite smiles. Moreover, we found an independent contribution of social anxiety to approach ratings, over and above general negative affect (state/trait anxiety, depression), only for genuine smiles, and not for polite ones. We argue this pattern of results can be explained by genuine smilers signalling greater potential for interaction - and thus greater potential for the scrutiny that is feared in social anxiety - than polite smiles. Experiment 2 established that, relative to polite smilers, genuine smilers are indeed perceived as friendlier and likely to want to talk for longer if approached. Critically, the degree to which individual face items were perceived as wanting to interact correlated strongly with the amount that social anxiety reduced willingness to approach in Experiment 1. We conclude it is the potential for social evaluation and scrutiny signalled by happy expressions, rather than their positive valence, that is important in social anxiety.

The big warm smile of cheaters: lateral posing biases and emotional expressions in displaying facial trustworthiness.

Cheater detection, which is a prerequisite for the evolution of social cooperation, has been successfully simulated in laboratory settings. However, the process has not been perfect because the detection rate has usually been just above chance. The present study investigated the role of lateral posing biases and emotional expressions in displaying trustworthiness, which plays a crucial role in cheater detection. Participants (N = 30 and 28 in Experiments 1 and 2, respectively) observed facial photographs of cheaters and cooperators in an economic game and evaluated their facial expressions in terms of emotional valence and arousal. The models in the photographs had turned their left or right cheek to the camera to display their trustworthiness in the economic game. The results indicated that cheaters showing their left cheek were rated as more emotionally positive than cheaters showing their right cheek. This lateral difference was not observed for cooperators. A left cheek advantage in emotional arousal was found for both cheaters and cooperators. These results suggest that cheaters use a fake smile on the emotional side of their face (i.e., the left) to conceal their uncooperative attitude.

Does the vertical position of maxillary central incisors in men influence smile esthetics perception?

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to investigate whether there is any influence on the perception of smile esthetics among orthodontists and laypersons, with regard to different vertical positions of the maxillary central incisors. METHODS: Frontal smile photographs digitally altered at full-face view and close-up view of 2 adult men aged between 20 and 30 years were used. Six vertical positions of the central incisors were created, with changes of 0.5 mm. The images were randomly assembled in an album that was presented to 53 orthodontists and 53 laypersons, who evaluated the attractiveness of the images by using visual analog scales. Comparison among the images was performed using 1-way analysis of variance, with Tukey post-hoc test. To compare the distribution of the mean scores between the full-face and close-up smile views, and between orthodontists and laypersons, the Student t test was used. The level of significance was established at 5%. RESULTS: The best evaluations presented the following: (a) the gingival margins of the central incisors corresponded to, or were up to, 1 mm below the line of the canine gingival margins, and (b) the incisal step between the central and lateral incisors was from 1.0 to 2.0 mm. The smiles considered least attractive showed (a) the central incisor gingival margins were 1.0 mm above or 1.5 mm below the canine gingival margins, and (b) no step, or a step of 2.5 mm, between the central and lateral incisors. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggested that, in men, slightly extruded central incisors were esthetically more attractive than intruded incisors.

The effect of dental and background facial attractiveness on facial attractiveness and perceived integrity and social and intellectual qualities.

INTRODUCTION: The purposes of this study were to assess the role of dental attractiveness in background facial attractiveness and to evaluate how facial and dental attractiveness influenced raters' opinions of the integrity, social attractiveness, and intellectual attractiveness of the models. METHODS: Photographs of male and female individuals rated by peers as unattractive, average, and attractive were combined with oral images of 4 different levels of dental attractiveness (Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need [IOTN] 1, 5, 7, and 10). Sixty-seven participants meeting the inclusion criteria were recruited as raters. Raters viewed closed-lip smile and open-lip, posed smile of 24 models and rated them for facial attractiveness and integrity and multiple social/intellectual attractiveness dimensions using a Visual Analog Scale. RESULTS: Intrarater reliability was fair to excellent. Analysis of variance showed significant 3-way interactions (P < 0.0001=aim 1; P < 0.005=aim 2) for model sex, facial attractiveness, and dental attractiveness. The contribution of dental attractiveness to facial attractiveness was not fixed or linear, but dependent on dental attractiveness level, background facial attractiveness, and model sex. For both sexes, dental impact on facial attractiveness was neutral or negative when teeth were less than ideal, beginning at IOTN 5 for all background facial attractiveness levels. The impact of dental attractiveness on integrity and social and intellectual attractiveness was also dependent on dental attractiveness level, background facial attractiveness, and model sex. Dental attractiveness can make dramatic differences in Average and Attractive male individuals. CONCLUSIONS: The impact of dental attractiveness on facial attractiveness and integrity and social and intellectual attractiveness was dependent on dental attractiveness level, background facial attractiveness, and model sex. The effect of dental esthetics on facial attractiveness was neutral or negative for both male and female individuals when there was a need for treatment (IOTN 5 or higher) for all levels of facial attractiveness. For both male and female models, lower dental esthetics had a greater effect on more attractive faces. Judgments about integrity and social and intellectual attractiveness were strongly affected by dental esthetics, and these effects were more dramatic and consistent for male faces.

Aging of the normal occlusion.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the qualitative occlusal changes in individuals with normal occlusion during a period of 47 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sample comprised dental models of 20 subjects with normal occlusion (8 males; 12 females) taken at 13.2 years (T1) and 60.9 years of age (T2). The occlusal features were evaluated with the objective grading system (OGS) and with the six keys to normal occlusion (SKNO). The subjects also answered a questionnaire on the aesthetic and occlusal self-perception at T2. Comparisons from T1 to T2 were performed with paired t- and McNemar tests (P less than 0.05). RESULTS: OGS analysis showed a significant improvement in the marginal ridge levelling and tooth buccolingual inclination. There was a significant deterioration of the antero-posterior occlusal relationship from T1 to T2. Subjects without tooth loss showed a dental alignment worsening between time points. The marginal ridges, buccolingual inclination, and interproximal contacts improved. The SKNO analysis showed a significant deterioration of the maxillary second molars buccolingual inclination and an improvement of the maxillary second molar angulation. All patients were satisfied with their smiles, and 60 per cent of the subjects had no complaints. Dental crowding caused dissatisfaction in 35 per cent of the sample. LIMITATIONS: A limitation of this study was the high prevalence of tooth loss in the sample from T1 to T2. Only 30 per cent of the subjects had no tooth loss in T2. CONCLUSIONS: The aging process slightly deteriorates some occlusal features of individuals with normal occlusion. However, most individuals were satisfied with their aesthetics and occlusal comfort at the sixth decade of life.

Esthetic perception of smiles with different gingival conditions.

This study aimed to compare the perceptions of smile esthetics among general practitioners, periodontists, and laypeople. Photographs of smiles were taken and digitally modified to create different gingival conditions: gingival asymmetry, unilateral gingival recession, and bilateral gingival recession. These photographs were evaluated by 150 volunteers (19-70 years old) using a 100.0-mm visual analog scale. The volunteers consisted of 50 laypeople with no knowledge of dentistry, 50 general dentists, and 50 periodontists. Analysis of variance and Student t test were performed when data presented a normal distribution. If the hypothesis of normality was rejected, the Newman-Keuls test was applied to the data. Results showed that laypeople noticed gingival asymmetry only when it reached 2.0 mm, while periodontists and general dentists noticed it at 1.0 mm. Periodontists and general dentists considered smiles with unilateral recession of ≥1.0 mm to be less attractive, while the smallest modification that was deemed unesthetic by the laypeople was 2.0 mm. In the evaluation of bilateral gingival recession, general dentists and periodontists found smiles with a 1.0-mm modification less attractive, while the changes were not noticed by laypeople until the modification reached 1.5 mm. It can be concluded that laypeople perceived changes in smile esthetics differently than did dental professionals, which suggests that laypeople may be less concerned about the esthetic effects of minor gingival alterations than are dental professionals. Therefore, it is important for the dentist to understand the individual patient's perception of what constitutes an esthetic smile before recommending a dental treatment plan.

Interventions of computerized psychotherapies for depression in Primary Care in Spain.

Currently, depression is a global health problem recognized by the WHO. The prevalence of this pathology in Primary Care is estimated at 19.5% worldwide, and 20.2% in Spain. In addition, the current intervention policies and protocols involve significant costs, both personal and economic, for people suffering from this disorder, as well as for society in general. On the other hand, the relapse rates after pharmacological interventions that are currently applied and the lack of effective specialized attention in mental health services reflect the need to develop new therapeutic strategies that are more accessible and profitable. Therefore, one of the proposals that are being investigated in different parts of the world is the design and evaluation of therapeutic protocols applied through Information and Communication Technologies, especially through the Internet and computer programs. The objective of this work was to present the current situation in Spain regarding the use of these interventions for the treatment of depression in Primary Care. The main conclusion is that although there is scientific evidence on the effectiveness of these programs, there are still important barriers that hinder their application in the public system, and also the need to develop implementation studies that facilitate the transition from research to clinical practice.

Does Smile Intensity in Photographs Really Predict Longevity? A Replication and Extension of Abel and Kruger (2010).

Abel and Kruger (2010) found that the smile intensity of professional baseball players who were active in 1952, as coded from photographs, predicted these players' longevity. In the current investigation, we sought to replicate this result and to extend the initial analyses. We analyzed (a) a sample that was almost identical to the one from Abel and Kruger's study using the same database and inclusion criteria ( N = 224), (b) a considerably larger nonoverlapping sample consisting of other players from the same cohort ( N = 527), and (c) all players in the database ( N = 13,530 valid cases). Like Abel and Kruger, we relied on categorical smile codings as indicators of positive affectivity, yet we supplemented these codings with subjective ratings of joy intensity and automatic codings of positive affectivity made by computer programs. In both samples and for all three indicators, we found that positive affectivity did not predict mortality once birth year was controlled as a covariate.

The specific social costs of expressive negative symptoms in schizophrenia: reduced smiling predicts interactional outcome.

OBJECTIVE: We tested whether people with schizophrenia and prominent expressive negative symptoms (ENS) show reduced facial expressions in face-to-face social interactions and whether this expressive reduction explains negative social evaluations of these persons. METHOD: We compared participants with schizophrenia with high ENS (n = 18) with participants with schizophrenia with low ENS (n = 30) and with healthy controls (n = 39). Participants engaged in an affiliative role-play that was coded for the frequency of positive and negative facial expression and rated for social performance skills and willingness for future interactions with the respective role-play partner. RESULTS: Participants with schizophrenia with high ENS showed significantly fewer positive facial expressions than those with low ENS and controls and were also rated significantly lower on social performance skills and willingness for future interactions. Participants with schizophrenia with low ENS did not differ from controls on these measures. The group difference in willingness for future interactions was significantly and independently mediated by the reduced positive facial expressions and social performance skills. CONCLUSION: Reduced facial expressiveness in schizophrenia is specifically related to ENS and has negative social consequences. These findings highlight the need to develop aetiological models and targeted interventions for ENS and its social consequences.

What makes a smiling face look happy? Visual saliency, distinctiveness, and affect.

We investigated the relative contribution of (a) perceptual (eyes and mouth visual saliency), (b) conceptual or categorical (eye expression distinctiveness), and (c) affective (rated valence and arousal) factors, and (d) specific morphological facial features (Action Units; AUs), to the recognition of facial happiness. The face stimuli conveyed truly happy expressions with a smiling mouth and happy eyes, or blended expressions with a smile but non-happy eyes (neutral, sad, fearful, disgusted, surprised, or angry). Saliency, distinctiveness, affect, and AUs served as predictors; the probability of judging a face as happy was the criterion. Both for truly happy and for blended expressions, the probability of perceiving happiness increased mainly as a function of positive valence of the facial configuration. In addition, for blended expressions, the probability of being (wrongly) perceived as happy increased as a function of (a) delayed saliency and (b) reduced distinctiveness of the non-happy eyes, and (c) enhanced AU 6 (cheek raiser) or (d) reduced AUs 4, 5, and 9 (brow lowerer, upper lid raiser, and nose wrinkler, respectively). Importantly, the later the eyes become visually salient relative to the smiling mouth, the more likely it is that faces will look happy.

"So Happy I Could Shout!" and "So Happy I Could Cry!" Dimorphous expressions represent and communicate motivational aspects of positive emotions.

Happiness can be expressed through smiles. Happiness can also be expressed through physical displays that without context, would appear to be sadness (tears, downward turned mouths, and crumpled body postures) and anger (clenched jaws, snarled lips, furrowed brows, and pumped fists). These seemingly incongruent displays of happiness, termed dimorphous expressions, we propose, represent and communicate expressers' motivational orientations. When participants reported their own aggressive expressions in positive or negative contexts, their expressions represented positive or negative emotional experiences respectively, imbued with appetitive orientations (feelings of wanting to go). In contrast, reported sad expressions, in positive or negative contexts, represented positive and negative emotional experiences respectively, imbued with consummatory orientations (feelings of wanting to pause). In six additional experiments, participant observers interpreted that aggression displayed in positive contexts signalled happy-appetitive states, and sadness displayed in positive contexts signalled happy-consummatory states. Implications for the production and interpretation of emotion expressions are discussed.

"A sweet smile": the modulatory role of emotion in how extrinsic factors influence taste evaluation.

It has recently been demonstrated that the reported tastes/flavours of food/beverages can be modulated by means of external visual and auditory stimuli such as typeface, shapes, and music. The present study was designed to assess the role of the emotional valence of the product-extrinsic stimuli in such crossmodal modulations of taste. Participants evaluated samples of mixed fruit juice whilst simultaneously being presented with auditory or visual stimuli having either positive or negative valence. The soundtracks had either been harmonised with consonant (positive valence) or dissonant (negative valence) musical intervals. The visual stimuli consisted of images of emotional faces from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) with valence ratings matched to the soundtracks. Each juice sample was rated on two computer-based scales: One anchored with the words sour and sweet, while the other scale required hedonic ratings. Those participants who tasted the juice sample while presented with the positively-valenced stimuli rated the juice as tasting sweeter compared to negatively-valenced stimuli, regardless of whether the stimuli were visual or auditory. These results suggest that the emotional valence of food-extrinsic stimuli can play a role in shaping food flavour evaluation and liking.

A prospective cohort study assessing differences in cosmetic appreciation of lateralization while smiling in patients with a peripheral facial palsy.

We investigated the differences in cosmetic appreciation of patients with a left and a right peripheral facial palsy (PFP) while smiling. Smiling pictures of patients with a facial palsy with House-Brackmann II-VI were reversed as a mirror image and offered as a pair of pictures, together with the true image. Twenty-six patients with a PFP and 24 medical professionals familiar with facial palsy were asked to choose the most attractive photograph. Patients rated their own pictures. Medical professionals preferred pictures of patients with a right and left PFP in, respectively, a mean of 43.00 ± 12.25% and 57.00 ± 12.28% (p = .005). Patients with a right PFP chose their mirror and true image in 65% and 35% in smiling pictures (p = .01). Patients with a left PFP facial palsy chose their mirror and true image in 58% and 42% in smiling pictures (p = .02). The House-Brackmann score and age of the patients did not influence preferences of medical professionals and patients. We have found that medical professionals have a significant preference for pictures of patients with a left PFP. Patients with a left PFP and right PFP significantly prefer their mirror image in smiling pictures.