RESEARCH: Facial expressions show disdain for poor moral judgement
By AYOUB ANSARI
SUN MEDIA
Researchers at the University of Toronto have proved a metaphor to be literal. Bad behaviour really does leave a bad taste in your mouth,” they say.
Psychologists who studied the facial expressions of 60 participants say our responses to moral transgressions elicited the same reaction of disgust as tasting something bitter or sour, or seeing pictures of dirty toilets or injuries.
Participants reacted with the same: Lifting the upper lip and the scrunching the nose.
The study — which suggests that moral judgment may depend as much on simple emotional processes as on complex thought — was released recently and took couple of years to complete, says lead author Hannah Chapman, a psychology student at the university.
We found that people show activation of this muscle region in all three situations: When tasting something bad, looking at something disgusting and experiencing unfairness,” Chapman said.
Scientists studied and compared facial movements of participants tasting unpleasant liquids and looking at disgusting photographs with unfair treatment in a lab game called the ultimatum game.
In this game, two players decide to divide a sum — for example $10 — given to them. The first player divides it and the second player can either accept or reject it. The first player decides to give only $1 and keep $9.
And although it is in the financial interest of the second player to accept any offer, the second player disgusted by the unfair offer rejects it on the grounds of principle.
This is when the facial expression of morally disgusted individuals was recorded.
Researchers used a technique called electromyography in order to detect muscle movement in the region.
It detected electrical activation that occurs when the facial muscles contract focusing on movement of the levator labii muscle.
This is the muscle that acts to raise the upper lip and wrinkle the nose, creating the facial expression of disgust.
The senior author of the study, Adam Anderson speaking about morality says, not only complex thoughts guide our moral compass, but there is a possibility that taste buds too.
Surprisingly, our sophisticated moral sense of what is right and wrong may develop from a newborn’s innate preference for what tastes good and bad, what is potentially nutritious versus poisonous,” Anderson said.
So, next time a bad behaviour leaves a bad taste in your mouth, you have scientific evidence and a facial expression to support your claim.
