| Title: | Chemosignals communicate human emotions |
| Author(s): | de Groot JH; Smeets MA; Kaldewaij A; Duijndam MJ; Semin GR; |
| Address: | "Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Utrecht University, The Netherlands" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1467-9280 (Electronic) 0956-7976 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Can humans communicate emotional states via chemical signals? In the experiment reported here, we addressed this question by examining the function of chemosignals in a framework furnished by embodied social communication theory. Following this theory, we hypothesized that the processes a sender experiences during distinctive emotional states are transmitted to receivers by means of the chemicals that the sender produces, thus establishing a multilevel correspondence between sender and receiver. In a double-blind experiment, we examined facial reactions, sensory-regulation processes, and visual search in response to chemosignals. We demonstrated that fear chemosignals generated a fearful facial expression and sensory acquisition (increased sniff magnitude and eye scanning); in contrast, disgust chemosignals evoked a disgusted facial expression and sensory rejection (decreased sniff magnitude, target-detection sensitivity, and eye scanning). These findings underline the neglected social relevance of chemosignals in regulating communicative correspondence outside of conscious access" |
| Keywords: | "Communication Double-Blind Method Emotions/*physiology *Facial Expression Fear/physiology Female Humans Male Olfactory Perception/*physiology Pheromones, Human/*physiology Sweat/*physiology Young Adult;" |
| Notes: | "Medlinede Groot, Jasper H B Smeets, Monique A M Kaldewaij, Annemarie Duijndam, Maarten J A Semin, Gun R eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2012/09/29 Psychol Sci. 2012; 23(11):1417-24. doi: 10.1177/0956797612445317. Epub 2012 Sep 27" |
