Is visual search superior in angry or happy face detection?: An assessment based on targets’ perceptual features and efficient distractor rejection

Abstract

We used a visual search paradigm to compare and evaluate the preferential detection of angry and happy faces, employing both schematic and real faces. In Experiment 1, we studied visual search using schematic faces to compare the detection of angry and happy faces. In Experiments 2 and 3, we assessed the influence of homogeneous (Experiment 2) and heterogeneous (Experiment 3) distractors on the detection of real angry and happy faces showing no exposed teeth. As homogeneous and heterogeneous distractors, we used facial expressions of the same or different persons as the target, respectively. Throughout Experiments 1–3, angry faces with happy face distractors were detected faster than vice versa. When neutral faces were used as distractors, the three Experiments showed different results. While anger detection was superior in Experiment 1, no detection preference was found for real angry or happy faces in Experiment 2. Furthermore, a happiness detection preference was observed in Experiment 3. These results suggest that the anger detection superiority observed with real faces can be explained by the efficient rejection of happy face distractors.