Mask Impact on Ability to Perceive Emotional Expression
Abstract
This study aims to investigate the impact masks have on emotional recognition. Previous studies have supported the idea that masks hinder the ability to recognize the emotion of the person wearing the mask. The data will be collected in an online format using the Qualtrics survey software. Participants will be recruited through the SONA system. The participants will be shown faces from the Karolinska Directed Emotional Faces Set. They will rate every stimuli presented on a Likert Rating scale. The emotions presented on the stimuli will be happy, angry, sad and neutral. The faces will also be presented with black, N95, surgical, and no mask. The participants will then have to answer questions along the lines of “how happy does this person look?” and their answer would be recorded on a Likert rating scale. The responses will be recorded and analyzed to determine the impact of wearing a face mask on the ability to perceive facial expressions correctly. We expect to find a difference in people that wear masks and their ability to recognize faces compared to people that do not wear masks. We also expect to find whether or not wearing a different type of face mask impacts a person’s ability to accurately perceive facial and emotional expression,and if there is an increase or decrease in the level of confidence while they judge emotional expression of the person wearing a face mask.This study is important because it examines if covering up a portion of the face has an affect on identifying facial expressions.
Mask Impact on Ability to Perceive Emotional Expression
This study aims to investigate the impact masks have on emotional recognition. Previous studies have supported the idea that masks hinder the ability to recognize the emotion of the person wearing the mask. The data will be collected in an online format using the Qualtrics survey software. Participants will be recruited through the SONA system. The participants will be shown faces from the Karolinska Directed Emotional Faces Set. They will rate every stimuli presented on a Likert Rating scale. The emotions presented on the stimuli will be happy, angry, sad and neutral. The faces will also be presented with black, N95, surgical, and no mask. The participants will then have to answer questions along the lines of “how happy does this person look?” and their answer would be recorded on a Likert rating scale. The responses will be recorded and analyzed to determine the impact of wearing a face mask on the ability to perceive facial expressions correctly. We expect to find a difference in people that wear masks and their ability to recognize faces compared to people that do not wear masks. We also expect to find whether or not wearing a different type of face mask impacts a person’s ability to accurately perceive facial and emotional expression,and if there is an increase or decrease in the level of confidence while they judge emotional expression of the person wearing a face mask.This study is important because it examines if covering up a portion of the face has an affect on identifying facial expressions.