Does Botox Make Us Happy? How Facial Expression Affects Emotion

By Yael Horwitz and Jorge Barraza
Backed by Beth And Marshall Horwitz, Oscar Jasklowski, and Cindy Wu
Pitzer College
Pomona, California
PsychologyNeuroscience
Open Access
$66
Raised of $500 Goal
14%
Ended on 12/02/14
Campaign Ended
  • $66
    pledged
  • 14%
    funded
  • Finished
    on 12/02/14

About This Project

Ever heard that smiling makes you happy and frowning makes you sad? Researchers now believe Botox may be an effective treatment for depression, since it paralyzes muscles involved in facial expressions. This study will investigate whether receiving Botox injections changes the way someone feels emotion. Botox patients will view emotionally-charged videos, while having their heart rate, skin conductance and levels of facial expressions measured.

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What is the context of this research?

Previous research supports the notion that Botox can impact the subjective experience of emotions. These studies, however, rely on self-report and focus on sadness, rather than positive emotions. These studies have found that Botox patients have a less intense response to sad stimuli and marginally less intense to happy. I want to replicate these results, while measuring physiology and using a standardized measure of facial expression. Physiology will be measured using heart rate (R-R intervals) and EDA (SCR.) Facial Expression will be measured using Kring & Sloan's (2007) FACES technique.

What is the significance of this project?

This work will expand on what is known about Botox (the benefits and consequences), the proposed biofeedback loop that connects facial expressions with emotional experience, and people's responses to emotional stories. The ultimate aim is to contribute to knowledge on treatments for depression and the potential unintended benefits or consequences of Botox.

What are the goals of the project?

  1. Show Botox patients happy and sad videos, before and after Botox treatment
  2. Record heart rate and skin conductance
  3. Measure facial expression
  4. Analyze differences in emotional expression, pre and post treatment
  5. Contribute to the understanding of emotion and how we feel it!

Budget

This project cannot be carried out without compensation for participants and co-experimenters! As it stands, my student funding is too limited to carry out this project, as planned. Cost justification follows! Participant compensation: $10 per session x 2 sessions per participant x 20 participants = $400. Compensation for research assistants who help to score facial expressions using the Facial Expression Coding System (FACES): 2 raters aside from myself x $50 per rater = $100.

Meet the Team

Yael Horwitz
Yael Horwitz
Jorge Barraza
Jorge Barraza

Team Bio

I'm a 4th-year student (senior) at Pitzer College in Claremont, California. I am a psychology major and a German minor, with a particular interest in cognitive and neuropsychology.

I worked as a research assistant in a social psychology laboratory for one year, and have worked as a research assistant at the CGU Center for Neuroeconomics - an interdisciplinary neuroscience, economic and psychology laboratory under the direction of Paul Zak, PhD and Jorge Barrazza, PhD - for several years now.

I love reading any and all research about the brain, baking, fitness, animals and travel. Most of all, I'm very grateful that you took the time to read this page!

Thanks, Yael Horwitz

Check out my Linkedin for more information on my research experience!

https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=307560026...

Lab Notes

Nothing posted yet.

Additional Information

This project is a senior honors thesis in psychology for Pitzer College, advised by David Moore, PhD, and conducted in conjunction with the Claremont Graduate University Center for Neuroeconomics Studies with Paul Zak, PhD, and Jorge Barraza, PhD.

Project Backers

  • 3Backers
  • 14%Funded
  • $66Total Donations
  • $22.00Average Donation