Enhancing images of facial expressions

Benson, P. J., Campbell, R., Harris, T. , Frank, M. G. and Tovee, M. J. (1999) Enhancing images of facial expressions. Perception and Psychophysics, 61 (2). pp. 259-274. ISSN 0031-5117

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Abstract

Facial images can be enhanced by application of an algorithm-the caricature algorithm-that systematically manipulates their distinctiveness (Benson & Perrett, 1991c; Brennan, 1985). In this study, we first produced a composite facial image from natural images of the six facial expressions of fear, sadness, surprise, happiness, disgust, and anger shown on a number of different individual faces (Ekman & Friesen 1975). We then caricatured the composite images with respect to a neutral (resting) expression. Experiment 1 showed that rated strength of the target expression was directly related to the degree of enhancement for all the expressions. Experiment 2, which used a free rating procedure, found that, although caricature enhanced the strength of the target expression (more extreme ratings), it did not necessarily enhance its purity, inasmuch as the attributes of nontarget expressions were also enhanced. Naming of prototypes, of original exemplar images, and of caricatures was explored in Experiment 3 and followed the pattern suggested by the free rating conditions of Experiment 2, with no overall naming advantage to caricatures under these conditions. Overall, the experiments suggested that computational methods of compositing and caricature can be usefully applied to facial images of expression. Their utility in enhancing the distinctiveness of the expression depends on the purity of expression in the source image.

Keywords:computer graphics, discrimination learning, emotion, facial expression, Caricatures, faces
Subjects:C Biological Sciences > C800 Psychology
C Biological Sciences > C850 Cognitive Psychology
C Biological Sciences > C830 Experimental Psychology
C Biological Sciences > C880 Social Psychology
C Biological Sciences > C841 Health Psychology
C Biological Sciences > C840 Clinical Psychology
Divisions:College of Social Science > School of Psychology
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ID Code:24510
Deposited On:25 Aug 2017 13:56

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