Abstract
Recently Haxby et al. (2000) have proposed a model of distributed neural system for face perception which emphasizes a distinction between the processing system for invariant and changeable aspects of faces. Invariant aspects of faces are important for the recognition of individuals whereas changeable aspects of faces such as eye gaze and emotional expression facilitate social communication. In this article we focus on the latter aspect and describe recent psychological studies which have examined the interaction between emotional facial expression and face/gaze direction. The experimental research revealed that (1) automatic attentional shift by gaze-cueing was modulated by emotional facial expression and that (2) the perceptual processing of emotional facial expression and of face/gaze direction interacts, facilitating the detection of the negative faces when the gazes are directed toward the observer. Overall, the evidence provided by psychological research is quite consistent with that from the neuroscientific research. This presents a convincing demonstration that both approaches can be most fruitful when taken in concert.
