The effect of expression sequence and expressor identity on judgments of the intensity of facial expression

Subjects were exposed to a sequence of facial expression photographs to determine whether viewing earlier expressions in a sequence would alter intensity judgments of a final expression in the sequence. Results showed that whether the preceding expressions were shown by the same person who displayed the final expression, or different people, intensity ratings of both sad and happy final expressions were enhanced when preceded by a sequence of contrasting as opposed to similar or identical facial expressions. Results are discussed from the perspective of adaptation-level theory.