ABSTRACT
The results of the Uncanny Modality study (Tinwell, Grimshaw and Williams, 2010) that I discussed in the previous chapter indicated that a perceived lack of human-likeness in facial expression exaggerated the uncanny in virtual characters with a human-like appearance. Protagonist characters that were intended to be perceived as empathetic, such as Alex Shepherd from Alone in the Dark (Atari Interactive, Inc. 2009) and Mary Smith from The Casting (Quantic Dream, 2006), were regarded as less familiar and human-like when they were judged to portray a lack of facial emotional expressivity. is eect was particularly salient in the upper facial region, including the eyebrows and forehead. While this nding provided some evidence as to which factors evoked perception of the uncanny, I wanted to know more. It is well established that in humans facial expression is used not only to communicate how one is feeling but also as a way to determine the aective state and possible actions of others (Darwin, 1872; Ekman, 1979, 1992). Importantly, each emotion type serves a dierent adaptive function as part of social or survival interaction. erefore, we may respond more negatively to perception of anger or fear in another yet more positively to perceived happiness. Based on this, I pondered whether the uncanny eect would be the same or dierent across all
emotions. If response to the uncanny was to dier across dierent emotion types, then why would this occur? Also, what would the implications of this be for designers when modeling dierent emotion types in a character’s facial expression? To begin toward working to nd an answer to these questions, I set about a new empirical study to investigate more closely how inadequate movement in the upper face may inuence perception of a character’s emotive state and the uncanny across the six basic emotions (Ekman, 1972). is chapter provides a description of the methodology, design and ndings from that experiment to investigate the implications of a lack of nonverbal communication (NVC) in the upper face and viewer perception of uncanniness in virtual characters. I also take the opportunity to describe the origins and adaptive functions of facial expression in primates that help to set this experiment in context. NVC takes place while we speak, and the upper facial region plays an integral part in this process. An overview is provided of the purpose of NVC in humans and the associated roles of the eyebrows, eyelids and forehead and how they may work independently or alongside speech and other body and facial movements.
