Slow facial signs and their psychodiagnostic value

Abstract

The current study is devoted to the identification of the scientific basis of permanent facial expression as a psychodiagnotic measure. The aim of the research is to investigate relationships between slow facial signs (SFS) and emotional personality traits with taking into account age and gender on the sample of Eastern Ukrainians (201 participants). To that end, we measured participants’ personality traits levels and photographed their neutral faces in order to identify any SFS on the photographs of their faces. The test battery included the Spielberger state-trait anxiety inventory, Taylor manifest anxiety scale, Buss-Durkey hostility inventory, Vasserman social frustration questionnaire, Vasserman neuroticism scale, Personal differential inventory, “Draw-A-Person” and “Draw-A-Person-In-The-Rain” projective tests. We applied Facial Action Coding System (Ekman, Friesen, & Hager) to identify and interprete SFS on the photographs. We found that the most part of revealed SFS relates to anger (12) and sadness (11). The fewest number of revealed SFS relates to disgust / contempt (5), fear (4) and happiness (4). The elder a person becomes the more increasing number of SFS of sadness (highest rates), anger (lower rates), fear (still lower) and happiness (lowest rates) is expected in one’s face. There are no significant differences in manifesting SFS between men and women. We found significant correlations between relevant SFS and traits anxiety, depression, and agressiveness (in its guilt and resentment aspects).