General information about the interviewee:
Age: 62
Gender: Male
Occupation: communications engineer
1. Understanding Facial Emotion Recognition:
- Can you describe what the term „Facial Emotion Recognition“ means to you?
Facial Emotion Recognitionis a technique for recognising human mood and emotions based on a person’s facial expression. It plays a role in areas such as medicine, security, market research and social research. Automated methods, AI and machine learning algorithms offer great potential for the future use of this technology.
2. Analyzing Facial Expressions:
- What helps you analyze the facial expression of another person when you see them?
When analysing another person’s facial expression, visual cues such as movements of the eyebrows, eyes, mouth and other facial muscles play a crucial role. - Which specific features and aspects do you pay attention to in this scenario?
In the course of evolution, reactions such as the movement of the eyebrows, eyes, mouth, forehead or other areas of the face have become established in human facial expressions. The purpose of these facial expressions is non-verbal communication with the other person, which takes place unconsciously. These facial reactions, which cannot be fully controlled, can be used to draw conclusions about the emotions that trigger them.
3. Proportion and Arrangement:
- Are the proportions and arrangement of facial features important to you when perceiving a face? If so, how?
Yes, they play an important role in distinguishing between different faces. Computer algorithms for facial recognition work with a few distinctive proportions that can identify a face quite clearly. In addition to other features such as colour or skin texture, proportions play an important role in assessing the beauty of a face. Both general and personal standards are used to assess the beauty of a face.
4. Influence on Emotions:
- Can certain facial features and expressions influence the way you feel? How do they affect your emotions?
Certain facial features do have an effect on how a person is perceived. A person with a pretty face is perceived as more likeable. Emotions in the other person’s face directly influence your own emotions, such as pity, joy, confidence or affection.
5. Attractiveness of Faces:
- What attributes make a face attractive to you? What role does symmetry play?
Attributes that make a face attractive are colour, symmetry, proportionality, clear skin, youthfulness, and positive expressions. Symmetry plays a crucial role because it signals genetic health and developmental stability, making the face more visually appealing. - Is there a difference for you between the attractiveness of male and female faces?
Absolutely! Hard and angular faces can definitely look attractive on men, whereas I prefer soft faces on women. A woman’s beard is irritating, whereas it is normal for a man.
6. Preferences for Makeup:
- Do you prefer faces with a lot of makeup, very little makeup, or no makeup at all? What degree of makeup do you like the most and why?
I find make-up rather distracting on men. If at all, it has to be very minimal and inconspicuous.
For women, I also prefer less make-up, which is always appropriate and gives a natural look. However, some types can tolerate more make-up, which can create a somewhat more exotic look. However, this comes with the risk that it may not suit your own type.
7. Facial Shapes in Everyday Objects:
- Do you sometimes recognize facial shapes in everyday objects around you? If yes, can you provide a few examples?
Yes, sometimes you can recognise facial shapes in objects. A well-known example is the man in the moon, but you can also recognise facial shapes in clouds or in the leaves of trees.
Some things, such as emojis or pumpkin faces, are modelled on the face. - Does this recognition affect the way you feel about those objects or the way you interact with them?
Absolutely. The moon, for example, is humanised, given a kind of soul. The „smile“ emoji, for example, was developed to generate a positive reaction.
8. Controlling Facial Expressions:
- Do you sometimes try to control your own facial expressions to hide your true feelings or to display emotions you aren’t actually feeling? If yes, why do you do it, and how do you manage it?
Yes, it is often necessary to hide your emotions as much as possible. It is often not customary to show emotions at business meetings. Emotions can signal weakness to the other person, which can be undesirable, especially in competitive situations.
Finally, a tendency to partially conceal feelings has also developed as a result of upbringing.
However, certain facial expressions occur unconsciously and can only be controlled imperfectly.
9. Relevance to Art and Design:
- How do you think understanding facial shapes and expressions can benefit artists and designers in their work?
There are two aspects to assessing facial shapes and expressions in art and design.
Firstly, artists often want to convey or express a mood or emotion. In doing so, they can utilise the effect of facial expressions on other people, which has developed over the course of evolution.
On the other hand, artists are often dependent on consumer feedback. Here too, an understanding of facial shapes and expressions can be useful. - Can you think of any examples where the perception of facial features has influenced a piece of art or a design project?
Mona Lisa, for example. Or the painting „The Scream“ by Edvard Munch.
The Greek statues had rather flat facial features, many monarchs had themselves portrayed with determined facial features. In film art, facial expression is an essential element.
General information about the interviewee:
Age: 24 years
Gender: Male
Occupation: PhD Student in Visual Analytics
TU Graz
1. Understanding Facial Emotion Recognition:
Can you describe what the term „Facial Emotion Recognition“ means to you?
When we want to express our feelings, we show them to others by changing our face muscles – known as facial expressions. Another person picks up these emotions through our face which is facial emotion recognition.
2. Analyzing Facial Expressions:
What helps you analyze the facial expression of another person when you see them?
Shape of mouth (laughing, engineer smile 😐, etc.), muscles around eyes, eyebrows
Which specific features and aspects do you pay attention to in this scenario? See previous question
3. Proportion and Arrangement:
Are the proportions and arrangement of facial features important to you when perceiving a face? If so, how?
A symmetrical face is beautiful to look at, but asymmetrical or disproportional features catches our attention easier.
4. Influence on Emotions:
Can certain facial features and expressions influence the way you feel? How do they affect your emotions?
When a person expresses sadness through hanging eyebrows, sad smile, tears streaming down their face, we naturally won’t feell extremely happy about that – it also makes us feel sadness in some way.
5. Attractiveness of Faces:
What attributes make a face attractive to you? What role does symmetry play?
Correct proportions – this is possible through symmetry. Well adjusted lips – not that botox stuff, especially when the botox thing goes wrong, it destroys symmetry. A skin with correct color tone indicates healthiness -> attractive.
Is there a difference for you between the attractiveness of male and female faces?
Female faces are attractive by their majestic and elegant shape, they look smooth and symmetrical. Attractive male faces have distinctive features, they look more angular, more “rough” which might indicate strength and robustness in some way (I believe?)
6. Preferences for Makeup:
Do you prefer faces with a lot of makeup, very little makeup, or no makeup at all? What degree of makeup do you like the most and why?
Of course a shitload of makeup is certainly not attractive and makes the face look artificial and plastic. Very little makeup might help to hide unwanted features or put more emphasis on good features such as lips.
7. Facial Shapes in Everyday Objects:
Do you sometimes recognize facial shapes in everyday objects around you? If yes, can you provide a few examples?
Cars – every single car has that face with the two headlights and the radiator grille. There is even a saying in Austria “Do hob I erstmoi gschaut wie a Auto”
Does this recognition affect the way you feel about those objects or the way you interact with them
Probably a question for psychologists, since this belongs to the research area of our subconscious behavior.
8. Controlling Facial Expressions:
Do you sometimes try to control your own facial expressions to hide your true feelings or to display emotions you aren’t actually feeling? If yes, why do you do it, and how do you manage it?
There are certain funny situations, for example when playing a game with friends which is about lying, you need to have a “Pokerface”
9. Relevance to Art and Design:
How do you think understanding facial shapes and expressions can benefit artists and designers in their work?
If you want to make people buy certain products, you want them to feel happy – so maybe arouse their subconciousness with the help of a “hidden” happy face.
Can you think of any examples where the perception of facial features has influenced a piece of art or a design project? Sorry, no.
