Actors' Facial Movement Magnitude and Cardiac Dynamics Predict Observers' Emotion Believability Ratings

Abstract

In non-verbal communication, observers infer emotions from visible facial movements, yet emotional experiences are described in internal bodily terms (e.g., "my heart skipped a beat")1-3. This contrast highlights a tension between external sensory cues and internal signals. In this context, we examined an overlooked gap in affective science: what makes an emotional portrayal believable, and do believability judgments reflect only what observers can see or also the portraying persons internal cardiac dynamics? To test this, we created 311 scenario-driven acting clips designed to avoid prototypical posed displays4-6. For each clip, we quantified facial movement magnitude from the video, recorded ECG during preparation and enactment, and collected actors self-reports. Online participants (N = 371) viewed these clips and provided emotion recognition responses and continuous ratings of believability, valence, or arousal. The results show that believability decreased as movement magnitude increased, with a non-linear relationship indicating a stronger penalty as motion increased. Valence further shaped this pattern, with increasing movement reducing believability more strongly for portrayals with negative valence. This effect persisted after accounting for intended emotion, perceived arousal, and emotion recognizability. Cardiac dynamics varied during performance, and actors higher heart rate variability was associated with higher believability for positively valenced portrayals. Together, these findings show that believability is driven by visible movement cues interpreted in relation to valence, with actors cardiac dynamics showing selective alignment with believability. These results identify core components of believable emotional expressions and provide a basis for studying such judgments in everyday social interaction. HighlightsO_LILarger facial movements were associated with lower believability, non-linearly C_LIO_LINegative valence portrayals were penalized more strongly for large movements C_LIO_LIEmotion recognizability did not explain believability, even after adjustment C_LIO_LIActor heart-rate variability was associated with higher believability in positive portrayals C_LI