Authentic and posed emotional vocalizations trigger distinct facial responses

The ability to recognize the emotions of others is a crucial skill. In visual modality, sensorimotor mechanisms provide an important route for emotion recognition. Perceiving facial expressions often evokes activity in muscles and motor somatosensory systems, this relates performance tasks. It remains unclear whether how similar extend audition. Here we examined electromyographic electrodermal responses nonverbal vocalizations that varied emotional authenticity. Participants (N = 100) passively listened laughs cries could reflect authentic or posed emotion. Bayesian mixed models indicated listening laughter evoked stronger than crying. These were sensitive Authentic more zygomaticus orbicularis, typically associated with positive affect. We also found orbicularis corrugator related subjective evaluations subsequent authenticity perception task. Stronger predicted higher perceived corrugator, muscle negative affect, lower Moreover, elicited skin conductance laughs. This arousal effect did not predict task performance, however. For crying, physiological judgments. Altogether, these findings indicate affects peripheral nervous system vocalizations. They point role evaluation auditory modality.