Interpersonal distance, an essential component of social interaction, is modulated by the emotion conveyed by others and associated physiological response. However, in modern societies with overcrowded and hyperstimulating environments, we can only surreptitiously glimpse the faces of others in order to quickly make behavioral adjustments. How this impacts social interactions is not yet well understood. In the present study, we investigated this issue by testing whether facial expressions that are difficult to identify modify the physiological response (Electrodermal Activity, EDA) and subsequent judgment of interpersonal comfort distance. We recorded participants’ EDA while they provided comfort judgments to interpersonal distances with a Point‐Light Walker (PLW). The PLW, with an emotionally neutral gait, moved toward and crossed participants at various distances after the latter were exposed to a negative (anger), positive (happiness) or neutral facial expression presented at the perceptual threshold. Bayesian analyses of the data revealed an increase versus decrease of interpersonal comfort distance with the PLW depending on the negative versus positive emotional valence of the facial expression. They also showed an increase in EDA when the approaching PLW violated interpersonal comfort distance after participants were exposed to an angry facial expression. These effects correlated with the subjective assessment of the arousal of facial expressions. Thus, previous exposure to barely visible facial expressions can alter the representation of social comfort space and the physiological response associated with a violation of interpersonal comfort distances, depending on the valence and arousal of the emotional social stimuli.

中文翻译：

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面部表情在感知阈值上对皮肤电动活动和社会舒适距离的影响。

人际距离是社交互动的重要组成部分，受他人传递的情感和相关的生理反应调节。但是，在拥挤和过度刺激的现代社会中，我们只能偷偷摸摸地瞥见别人的脸，以便快速进行行为调整。目前尚不清楚这如何影响社会互动。在本研究中，我们通过测试难以识别的面部表情是否会改变生理反应（皮肤电活动，EDA）以及随后对人际舒适距离的判断，来调查此问题。我们记录了参与者的EDA，而他们使用Point-Light Walker（PLW）可以判断人际距离。PLW具有情绪中立的步态，在参与者暴露于感性阈值下出现的负面（愤怒），正面（幸福）或中性面部表情后，以不同的距离移向并越过参与者。对数据的贝叶斯分析表明，根据面部表情的负情绪价和正情绪价，人与人之间的舒适距离的增加与减少。当参与者暴露于愤怒的面部表情后，接近的PLW违反人际安慰距离时，他们的EDA也增加。这些效果与面部表情唤醒的主观评估相关。从而，