The effects of alcohol on the recognition of facial expressions and microexpressions of emotion: enhanced recognition of disgust and contempt

Objective: The study compared alcohol's effects on the recognition of briefly displayed facial expressions of emotion (so-called microexpressions) with expressions presented for a longer period.

Method: Using a repeated-measures design, we tested 18 participants three times (counterbalanced), after (i) a placebo drink, (ii) a low-to-moderate dose of alcohol (0.17 g/kg women; 0.20 g/kg men) and (iii) a moderate-to-high dose of alcohol (0.52 g/kg women; 0.60 g/kg men). On each session, participants were presented with stimuli representing six emotions (happiness, sadness, anger, fear, disgust and contempt) overlaid on a generic avatar in a six-alternative forced-choice paradigm. A neutral expression (1 s) preceded and followed a target expression presented for 200 ms (microexpressions) or 400 ms. Participants mouse clicked the correct answer.

Results: The recognition of disgust was significantly better after the high dose of alcohol than after the low dose or placebo drinks at both durations of stimulus presentation. A similar profile of effects was found for the recognition of contempt. There were no effects on response latencies.

Conclusion: Alcohol can increase sensitivity to expressions of disgust and contempt. Such effects are not dependent on stimulus duration up to 400 ms and may reflect contextual modulation of alcohol's effects on emotion recognition.