Facial Expression Intelligence Scale (FEIS): Recognizing and Interpreting Facial Expressions and Implications for Consumer Behavior

Abstract

Each time we meet a new person, we draw inferences based on our impressions. The first thing we are likely to notice is a person's face. The face functions as one source of information, which we combine with the spoken word, body language, past experience, and the context of the situation to form judgments. Facial expressions serve as pieces of information we use to understand what another person is thinking, saying, or feeling. While there is strong support for the universality of emotion recognition, the ability to identify and interpret facial expressions varies by individual. Existing scales fail to include the dynamicity of the face. Five studies are proposed to examine the viability of the Facial Expression Intelligence Scale (FEIS) to measure individual ability to identify and interpret facial expressions. Consumer behavior implications are discussed.