Abstract: This study combined confidence rating method and psychophysical method to measure the detection threshold of younger and older adults about six kinds of facial expressions(anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, surprise). The results revealed that, for all the expressions, the detection threshold of older adults was significantly greater than the younger adults. In the younger participants group, the detection threshold of anger was significantly greater than happiness, disgust, fear, and the detection threshold of fear and happiness was significantly less than anger, sad, and surprise. In the older participants group, the detection threshold of anger was significantly greater than other expressions, and the detection threshold of happiness was significantly less than other expressions. Female′s threshold was significantly less than male′s. In consequence, compared with younger adults, the order′s ability to detection facial expression was in recession, and the extent of recession was different in expressions. The extent of recession about the detection ability of happiness is minimized, anger and fear is maximum; Female′s detection ability is greater than male.

Key words: face emotion, expression detection, threshold, gender differences, age differences

摘要： 将自信心评定法与心理物理学的方法结合起来,测量了年轻人和老年人6种面部表情（愤怒、厌恶、恐惧、高兴、悲伤、惊讶）的觉知阈限,并进行了比较。结果发现,在所有情绪类型条件下,老年人的觉知阈限显著大于年轻人的;在年轻人组,愤怒表情的觉知阈限显著大于厌恶、恐惧和高兴表情的,恐惧和高兴表情的觉知阈限显著小于愤怒、悲伤和惊讶表情的。在老年人组,愤怒表情的觉知阈限显著大于其他表情的,高兴表情的觉知阈限显著小于其他表情的;女性的觉知阈限显著小于男性的。可见,与年轻人相比,老年人觉知面部表情的能力发生了衰退,且不同表情衰退的程度不同,高兴表情的觉知能力衰退的程度最小,愤怒和恐惧表情的觉知能力衰退的程度最大;女性的面部表情觉知能力较男性更强。

关键词: 面部表情, 表情觉知, 阈限, 性别差异, 年龄差异。