Parametric analysis of emotions through facial expressions in a cognitive breakthrough process

How sure are we of our ideas and our models of how the natural world operates? Very much so. In this study, recently published in the journal Enseñanza de las Ciencias, we examined the emotional flows present in students during the progression of a diverging experience. These types of experiences that, at first glance, seem to be simple practical problems, actually have a counter-intuitive response. This type of unexpected, surprising and, in a certain way, paradoxical responses to common sense; trigger a process of cognitive disruption by challenging ideas and models, as well as an emotional response.

Trust in previous ideas

The participants in the study expressed a high level of "confidence" in their guesses about the outcome of the experience. This confidence is due to the fact that they consider themselves prepared to be able to apply their knowledge. The mismatch between the confidence with their expectation in the experience with the actual process generates an emotional response to which we can anticipate and use as a tool.

The emotional process in cognitive disruption

The cognitive disruption process was accompanied by intense activity in facial expressions, which we linked to emotions. Specifically, three patterns of emotion expressions were observed during the whole process, suggesting a link between the affective and epistemic dimensions.

Participants performed a gestural representation of the experiment and the underlying physical process with their hands in conjunction with the verbal explanation. The emotional identification data present during this process showed a similarity to the emotions felt during the observation of the experience. Emotional expression is used as an emphasis of the elements they considered most important, but using the same emotions felt in the disruption process.

Therefore, it seems that when we explain a natural phenomenon, we associate the facts to our own emotions. Thus, certain moments are given relevance over against others by means of an emotional charge linked to the gestural expression and the cognitive process.

La medida paramétrica de las emociones en la ruptura cognitiva

In previous research emotions have been analyzed through facial expressions through recognition with an artificial intelligence system. In this way, epistemic emotions have been linked to facial expressions, but there are many other emotions that play a role in learning processes that can be incorporated into the analysis of expressions, especially in the educational context and its features.

The role of emotions should be kept in mind as principles for the design of learning environments, since they are interrelated in the processes of observation, cognitive processes and conceptual change.

More information

Paper (PDF): Estudio de emociones en un proceso de ruptura cognitiva a través del reconocimiento facial | Enseñanza de las Ciencias. Revista de investigación y experiencias didácticas

To cite this publication (APA): Ezquerra, A., Pamplona, S., Casas-Mas, A. & Nieto-Gómez, I (2024). Estudio de emociones en un proceso de ruptura cognitiva a través del reconocimiento facial. Enseñanza de las Ciencias, 42(1), 23-42. https://doi.org/10.5565/rev/ensciencias.5987