Article summary with Understanding the development of face and emotion processing under a predictive processing framework by Pereira a.o. - 2019

How do we develop the ability to understand emotional states from facial configurations?

The term facial expression implies that certain configurations of facial muscles are manifestations of internal emotional states and that such facial configurations lead to the perception of the associated emotions. Being able to understand emotions from facial expressions requires facial processing (visual processing of the facial configurative features) and emotion-related processing (awareness and interpretation of the emotional state of the other person). This skill follows a protracted developmental pathway, beginning with a broad comprehension based on valence that progressively becomes more defined to allow distinguishing between specific emotional categories.

What is predictive processing?

Predictive processing captures the general idea that neural and cognitive systems process information by continuously generating predictions and comparing them to the actual inputs. The brain builds a prediction and compares it with the actual sensory input. If sensory input was successfully predicted, internal prediction does not have to be updated. If the prediction failed to account for the incoming sensory input, this produces a prediction error (PE). Prediction errors can be explained as information that remains to be explained in the input and serves to update subsequent predictions associated with the input. By updating predictions through the incorporation of PEs, the system will minimize PE in the future, creating a better predictive model of the input. 

What is the role of hierarchy in predictive processing loops?

Predictive processing occurs hierarchically. At the first level, predictions are about immediate sensory input. At the next level, predictions are about the predictions of the lower level. Prediction errors at each level of the hierarchy reflect the mismatch between the prediction from the higher level and activity from the lower level. Early in the predictive hierarchy there are predictions and prediction errors about fast occurring and local characteristics of stimuli. Further along the hierarchy there are predictions and prediction errors about the long-lasting features of the stimuli.

What is active inference?

Active inference refers to the modification of prediction errors by action rather than by updating the perceptual model. By acting on the environment, we may test how our actions affect our sensory input and verify whether those sensory inputs deviate from our internal predictions (for example by having a closer look at someone to see if they are really crying). Moving in and acting on the environment may produce changes to the sensory input that lead to a decrease in prediction error.

What are the three stages of belief building?

The three stages of belief building are:

1. A lack of commitment to a single interpretation and abudance of errors.
2. A convergence to a dominant general theme.
3. A progressive specification of representational details for both the percept and associated contextual features.

What is Johnson´s model of Interactive Specialization?

According to this model, the cortical and cognitive specialization that is observed during development results from interactions between the environment and the brain, and between different structures within the brain. One example of interactive specialization is the development of specialized neural circuits for face perception. Newborns have a visual bias towards faces that enhances and ensures a continued perception for facial stimuli. This continued exposure to facial stimuli drives the development of the regions of the visual cortex, turning it for face processing and resulting in perceptual expertise for face perception.

What are adaptation paradigms?

Adaptation protocols use different models with the same facial configurations or different intensities of the same emotion during the adaptation phase. Adaptation paradigms allow examination of whether the target stimulus is considered the same as the adaptor in some aspects, and allows one to determine whether there are order effects dependent on the adaptation.

What is the 'happiness advantage'?

The 'happiness advantage' refers to the facilitated processing of happy faces. It may be due to the higher prevalence of happy facial configurations experienced by young infants. Facial configurations of happiness are likely to be frequently present in the visual field of the child. Since perceptual priors are dependent on previous experiences of the world, the fact that configurations of happiness are regularly expected and confirmed makes this prior a more robust belief. In adaptation beliefs, the habituation to a facial recognition that is already a prior, increases the prior belief as well as the posterior belief.

What are Basic Emotion Models?

Basic Emotion Models considers that facial expressions are unique to each emotion and are signals that convey information of one´s internal state. That information is used to coordinate social interactions. The model assumes that emotions are unique events that occur as a result of special mechanisms, and that each emotion has its own respective neural network. The expression of each emotion has its own response, manifested in face, voice, and body .

What are Psychological Construction Models?

Psychological Construction Models consider emotion as a state that is composed of various ingredients and their associated manifestations. They consider valence and activation as fundamental dimensions of core affect. Basic psychological processes like affect, previous experiences, language, and executive functioning combine to form a discrete emotion experience. These models call into question the assumption that there are basic, discrete, universally recognized emotions. It believes instead that facial expressions can be better understood as symbols of emotion rather than signals.