Are there universal expressions of emotion? - Sophie Zadeh

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

The 40 or so muscles in the human face can be activated in different combinations

人類面部有四十條左右的肌肉， 可以用不同的組合來啟動，

to create thousands of expressions.

創造出數千種表情。

But do these expressions look the same

但這些表情看來起的樣子，

and communicate the same meaning around the world,

以及傳達的意思，

在全世界任何文化中都一樣嗎？

regardless of culture?

Is one person’s smile another’s grimace?

一個人的微笑是否會是 另一個人的鬼臉？

Charles Darwin theorized that emotional expression was a common human feature.

查爾斯達爾文的理論是， 情緒表情是人類的共同特徵。

But he was in the minority.

但持這種看法的人是少數。

Until the mid-20th century,

直到二十世紀中期，

many researchers believed that the specific ways we show emotion

許多研究者相信， 我們展現情緒的特定方式

were learned behaviors that varied across cultures.

是習得的行為，會因文化而異。

Personality theorist Silvan Tomkins was one of the few to insist otherwise.

人格理論學家西爾文湯姆金斯 是少數堅持不同看法的人之一。

Tomkins claimed that certain affects—

湯姆金斯主張，某些情感——

emotional states and their associated facial expressions—

情緒狀態及其相關的面部表情——

were universal.

是全球一致的。

In the 1960s, psychologist Paul Ekman set about testing this theory

在六〇年代，心理學家 保羅艾克曼著手測試這個理論，

by examining hundreds of hours of film footage

他檢視了數百小時的影片，

of remote tribes isolated from the modern world.

影片中是和現代世界 隔離的偏遠部落。

Ekman found the native peoples’ expressions to be not only familiar,

艾克曼發現，原住民的 表情不僅很眼熟，

but occurring in precisely the situations he would expect.

且發生的情境也都在他的意料之中。

Conversely, he ran tests with tribes who had no prior exposure to Western culture.

相反地，他針對先前從未接觸過 西方文化的部落進行一些測試。

They were able to correctly match photos of different facial expressions

他們能夠正確地將 不同面部表情的照片

with stories designed to trigger particular feelings.

和設計來觸發 特定感受的故事做連結。

Over the next few decades,

在那之後的幾十年，

further research has corroborated Darwin’s idea

進一步的研究已經 證實了達爾文的想法，

that some of our most important emotional expressions are in fact universal.

我們有一些最重要的情緒表情 事實上是全球一致的。

The degrees of expression appropriate to a given situation can, however,

然而在固定情境的情況下， 表情合適的程度

vary greatly across cultures.

則會因文化而有很大的差異。

For instance, researchers have studied facial expression

比如，研究者探究了

in people who are born blind,

天生視障者的面部表情，

hypothesizing that if expressions are universal,

他們的假設是， 如果表情是全球一致的，

they would be displayed in the same way as sighted people.

視障者和非視障者的 表現方式應該會一樣。

In one study, both blind and sighted athletes

在一項研究中， 視障和非視障的運動員

displayed the same expressions of emotion when winning or losing their matches.

在輸掉和贏得比賽時， 都會展現出一樣的情緒表情。

Further evidence can be found in our evolutionary relatives.

在我們的演化親戚身上 還能找到進一步的證據。

Comparisons of facial expression between humans and non-human mammals

針對人類和其他哺乳動物 做面部表情比較，

have found similarities in the structure and movement of facial muscles.

結果發現，面部肌肉的 結構和動作有相似性。

Chimpanzee laughter looks different from ours,

黑猩猩的笑看起來 和我們的笑不一樣，

but uses some of the same muscle movements.

但動用到的是相同的肌肉。

Back in the 60s, Ekman identified six core expressions.

在六〇年代時，艾克曼 找出了六種核心表情。

Anger is accompanied by lowered eyebrows drawn together,

伴隨著憤怒的表情 是將眉毛下壓並擠在一起，

tense and narrowed eyes,

眼睛繃緊且瞇起來，

and tight lips;

嘴脣會緊閉；

disgust, by the lips pulled up and the nose crinkling.

噁心的表情則是 嘴脣向上拉及鼻子皺縮。

In fear, the upper white of the eyes are revealed as the eyebrows raise

恐懼時，因為眉毛上揚， 所以眼睛上方的眼白露出，

and the mouth stretches open,

嘴巴會延伸張開，

while surprise looks similar,

驚訝的表情很類似，

but with rounded eyebrows and relaxed lips.

差別在眉毛會是 圓弧狀的，嘴脣會放鬆。

Sadness is indicated by the inner corners of the eyebrows

傷心時，眉毛內側的角落

being drawn inwards and upwards,

會向內、向上拉，

drooping eyes,

眼睛下垂，

and a downturned mouth.

嘴巴向下彎。

And of course there’s happiness:

當然，還有快樂：

lips drawn up and back,

嘴脣向上、向後拉，

and raised cheeks causing wrinkling around the eyes.

因為臉頰提起，造成眼睛有皺紋。

More recently, researchers have proposed additional entries

更近期，有研究者提出了 額外的幾個項目，

such as contempt,

比如輕視、

shame,

羞恥，

and disapproval,

和不贊成，

but opinions vary on how distinct boundaries

但這些類別之間的界線如何劃分，

between these categories can be drawn.

各界的意見都不同。

So if Ekman and other researchers are correct,

所以，如果艾克曼 及其他研究者是對的，

what makes certain expressions universal?

為什麼這些表情會全球一致？

And why are they expressed in these particular ways?

且為什麼會用這些 特定的方式來表現？

Scientists have a lot of theories rooted in our evolutionary history.

科學家有許多理論 以我們的演化史為基礎。

One is that certain expressions are important for survival.

其中一項理論是，某些表情 對於生存而言是很重要的。

Fear and surprise could signal to others an immediate danger.

恐懼和驚訝的表情能夠馬上 示意其他人有危險發生。

Studies of humans and some other primates

針對人類與其他靈長類所做的研究

have found that we pay more attention to faces that signal threats

已經發現，相對於中性的臉孔，

我們對於示意威脅的臉孔 會更加注意，

over neutral faces,

particularly when we’re already on high alert.

特別是當我們已經 在高度警戒狀態時。

Expressions also could help improve group fitness

表情也能夠協助改善團體健康，

by communicating our internal states to those around us.

因為我們會向周圍的人 傳達關於我們內在狀態的訊息。

Sadness, for example, signals to the group that something’s wrong.

比如，悲傷就能向團體示意 有不對勁的地方。

There’s some evidence that expressions

有證據顯示，

表情和我們的生理可能 有更直接的關聯。

might be even more directly linked to our physiology.

The fear expression, for instance,

比如，恐懼的表情

could directly improve survival in potentially dangerous situations

在危險的情境中可以 直接改善生存的機會，

by letting our eyes absorb more light

因為眼睛可以吸收更多光，

and our lungs take in more air, preparing us to fight or flee.

肺部吸入更多空氣， 讓我們準備作戰或逃離。

There’s still much research to be done in understanding emotional expression,

在了解情緒的表情方面， 還需要做很多研究，

particularly as we learn more about the inner workings of the brain.

特別是因為我們現在也 更了解大腦內部的運作方式。

But if you ever find yourself among strangers in a strange land,

但如果你身在異地， 身邊都是陌生人時，

a friendly smile could go a long way.

一個友善的微笑是很有幫助的。