Smiling By Way of Zygomatic Electrical Stimulation: Investigating the Facial Feedback Hypothesis

Abstract

While it is widely accepted that affective states precede facial expressions, the facial feedback hypothesis (FFH) proposes the inverse. The FFH postulates that facial muscle region activity (e.g., smiling or frowning) directly influences the experience of emotion. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the validity of the FFH - specifically whether smiling independently enhances positive mood.