Inherently Ambiguous

The notion that facial expressions convey basic universal emotions has been enthusiastically endorsed by lay people and psychology researchers alike. According to this approach, a glance at the isolated face is all one needs in order to accurately discern specific emotions and affective states. Although intuitive, we argue that this notion is wrong. We review evidence suggesting that intense real-life facial expressions can be highly ambiguous, such that viewers are unsure of their valence. Alongside these data, we review work indicating an inherent role for context in emotion perception. Context does not merely change emotion perception at the edges; it can lead to radical categorical changes, even when posed stereotypical faces are perceived. Together, these findings highlight the need for a new approach in the study of emotion perception.