What statement reflects research on facial expressions and culture?

• A. Facial Expressions Are Universally Recognized Across Cultures
• B. Facial Expressions Are Culture-Specific
• C. Facial Expressions Are Random
• D. Facial Expressions Are Learned Only Through Imitation

Answer: (A)

Cross-cultural research on facial expressions shows that basic emotions are recognized similarly across different cultures. Studies where people from diverse populations identify expressions of happiness, sadness, fear, anger, surprise, and disgust tend to yield above-chance accuracy, indicating there are universal facial patterns for these emotions. This is why the statement about universal recognition best reflects the evidence: while cultures differ in display rules and social context, the ability to read these core expressions appears to be shared broadly. The idea that expressions are culture-specific ignores the consistent cross-cultural recognition, and claiming they’re random or learned only by imitation overlooks both the universal patterns and the role of social learning in nuance and display, respectively.