Individual differences in facial expressivity: Social function, facial anatomy and evolutionary origins

Communicating with others via the face is crucial for navigating social interactions. We know surprisingly little about how individuals differ in this ability and whether such differences impact on individual lives. We are exploring whether individual differences in facial expressivity equip individuals’ differentially to engage with their social environment, resulting in differences in the number and quality of an individual’s social relationships. We combine psychological, anatomical and cross-species methods in an interdisciplinary investigation of individual differences in facial expressivity.