Through the Looking Face:
How Emotional Faces Shape Our Perception of Neutral Expressions
Note: This study has been reviewed by an independent research ethics committee and approved.
About this Study
The Emotion Perception Research Study is a research project that aims to understand the differences in emotion perception in young adults in the Indian population. The experiment will measure your emotion perception of facial expressions.
Please participate if:
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You currently residing in Pune, India
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Are between 18-25 years old
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Do not have any current diagnosed or self-diagnosed Serious Mental Illness (SMI)*, intellectual disability, or photosensitive epilepsy.
What is a Serious Mental Illness (SMI)?
SMI includes diagnosed schizophrenia, psychotic disorders, bipolar disorder, major depression, anxiety disorders, Borderline Personality Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, and childhood trauma (Evans et al., 2016).
We have excluded specific SMIs and/or intellectual disabilities for being outside the scope of our study due to the potential inability to understand and execute study instructions, give consent, or risk of harm during experimentation. Individuals with photosensitive epilepsy will be excluded from the study for the risk of triggering seizures with rapid visual stimuli.
Why is this study important?
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This study explores how people understand and interpret emotions in facial expressions, looking closely at what affects these perceptions.
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This research is important because it provides new insights into how people from an Indian background, who are not part of the typical "Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic" populations usually studied, perceive emotions in facial expressions.
Who is conducting the study?
This study is being undertaken by Avanti Karmarkar, a research assistant at the Department of Psychology at Nolmë Labs.
Nolmë Labs is an academic research and science communication organization with a special focus on mental health advocacy.
Please read the study details and FAQs given below attentively before consenting to participate in the study.
Also see: How To Participate Summary Sheet
Are you interested in working with us? We accept applications on a rolling basis. Only trained alumni who have previously completed Nolme Labs Academic Research & Publishing Training Programme are eligible to apply for research assistantship roles. Apply at this link
FAQs
Please ensure you read all the frequently asked questions and research study details before consenting to participate in this study
Q1 Are there any risks associated with participating in the study?
There are no risks to participating in this study. We have taken every possible measure to ensure your safety and privacy.
1. For instance, to ensure your data confidentiality:
We have ensured your personal information will remain completely private.
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We will replace your name with an assigned alias in the form of an alphanumeric term (for example: oty9) to protect your identity while collecting and storing data.
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Any information you provide will be securely encrypted and accessed only by the research team.
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All identifying data will be deleted once the study is completed.
2. To protect you from any risks related to exposure to stimuli:
The study involves viewing images of facial expressions. These images are neutral, non-violent, and safe to ensure the comfort of all participants. We will exclude individuals with diagnosed photosensitive epilepsy, as the images appear briefly and may resemble flashes. Only participants who are able and willing to provide informed consent will be included in the study.
Q2: What are the benefits of participating in the study?
The primary benefit to the research participant is receiving a certification of participation and accessing a debriefing video which will contextualize your participation and explain the study.
Secondary benefits include contributing to the research on emotion perception, using primarily a non-WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich, Democratic) sample, specifically the Indian population. Conducting such studies helps decolonise psychology and extend research that is contextually relevant to the South Asian population
Q3 Why do I have to disclose information about my mental illness, epilepsy or childhood trauma?
Disclosing this information is essential for researchers to select only those participants who are not vulnerable to risk of harm while participating in the study. The conditions and environment of the study are potentially harmful or not tailored to the specific needs of persons with childhood trauma, epilepsy, and certain SMI, and they are hence, outside the scope of the present study.
Q4: How can I protect my identity while registering for the study?
Your privacy and confidentiality are of utmost importance to us. Your demographic and experiment data will be collected only for research purposes. All participant data will be strictly monitored and kept confidential on private devices under password protection. No data will be shared or sold for commercial or marketing purposes. You will be provided with an alias (an alphanumeric string) that the researcher will use to identify you in place of your name. This alias will be used for storing your data and for all analyses to maintain confidentiality. We request you use the same email as the recruitment form while emailing the researcher in case of questions or feedback.
Q.5 Where is the study taking place?
The study will take place on the Deccan Education Society Pune University Campus. Please find the complete address and google map location below.
Once you confirm your date and time of participation, it is mandatory to come to the study location for participation. Participants must cover their own travel expenses to arrive at the experiment location.
Students who are not current students of DES Pune will be asked to fill out an entry form sent by mail to be let in through the DES Pune university gate.
Here is a link to the study location: Google Maps.
Q6. How long will the study take?
The actual conduction of the study will take between 40 minutes to 1 hour 30 mins. Participants should arrive at the venue half an hour before the prescribed time to avoid last-minute delays. Please plan your day accordingly.
For example, if your allocated time is at 1:30 P.M, please make sure to arrive at the study location by 1 PM. In this case, your experiment would not last longer than 3 PM (a maximum of one and a half hours).
Q.7 Will I be informed about the study's results?
Yes, the overall findings and outcomes of the study will be shared with all participants who express an interest in receiving the results in the form of a research publication. No individual data will be shared. Your contributions are valuable, and we want to keep you informed about how your participation has contributed to the research.
Q.8 I have changed my mind about participating in the study, can I withdraw?
Your participation in this study is voluntary. If you begin to feel uncomfortable during participation, you may withdraw at any time without penalty. Please communicate your intention to withdraw from the study to the researcher at the contact information provided below. Please note that withdrawing from the study will not qualify you to receive a certificate.
Q.9 Can I contact the research team if I have additional questions?
The research team will be accessible to all participants in case of queries. Do you have queries, comments, or feedback? Email us at research@nolme.in with the subject line "Regarding Emotion Study" or WhatsApp us at +91 8806926172. We are more than happy to address any queries you may have.