The en- and decoding of schadenfreude laughter. Sheer joy expressed by a Duchenne laugh or emotional blend with a distinct morphological expression?

Abstract

This study investigates the facial features of schadenfreude laughter in historic illustrations by applying the Facial Action Coding System and assesses the decoding by naïve subjects. Results show that while the encoding of schadenfreude laughter is heterogeneous, schadenfreude is decoded when the facial expression unites markers of joy (Duchenne Display, consisting of the orbicularis oculi pars orbitalis muscle and the zygomatic major muscle), as well as markers of negative emotions (e.g., brow lowering), or in one case, where the initially categorized schadenfreude illustration contained markers distorting the expression of joy (e.g., frowning and the lowering of lip corners). These findings support the hypothesis that schadenfreude may be expressed by a morphologically distinct blend of a positive and a negative emotion, or is expressed by joyful laughter (with the expression being modulated due to social desirability).