Universality of basic facial expressions
Ekman found that members of an isolated culture with little outside contact recognized facial expressions of happiness, anger, and fear the same way Westerners did. This finding supports the idea that:
Answer D: explanation for every choice
A
Display rules, the norms for when to show emotions, differ across cultures.
B
Cognitive labeling is the Schachter–Singer theory and is not what the study tested.
C
Shared recognition without cultural contact argues against purely learned expressions.
D
Correct. Recognition across isolated cultures points to an evolutionary basis for basic expressions.
TakeawayBasic expressions are universal. Display rules vary by culture.
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Reviewed 2026-11-05 by a medical student. Spot an error? Report it with question ID ps111.