My research concerns the scientific study of human emotion, more concretely facial expression.

In accordance with the basic tenets of social neuroscience, I try to apply different methods and paradigms, use a variety of measures, and study different groups of humans at different ages to try to gain a basic understanding of emotion at multiple levels.

My research is aimed at understanding the mechanisms underlying the recognition of the emotional signals. The majority of the work addresses facial expression recognition, for which there is currently no detailed cognitive account. One aim is to develop such an account, and consequently, the research addresses all stages of the perceptual/cognitive processes involved in facial expression recognition.

The research comprises two main areas. The perception of facial expressions and the neuropsychology of emotion.

Primary Interests:

Attitudes and Beliefs
Communication, Language
Culture and Ethnicity
Emotion, Mood, Affect
Gender Psychology
Health Psychology
Law and Public Policy
Neuroscience, Psychophysiology
Nonverbal Behavior
Person Perception
Personality, Individual Differences
Social Cognition

Attitudes and Beliefs
Communication, Language
Culture and Ethnicity
Emotion, Mood, Affect
Gender Psychology
Health Psychology
Law and Public Policy

Neuroscience, Psychophysiology
Nonverbal Behavior
Person Perception
Personality, Individual Differences
Social Cognition

Research Group or Laboratory:

Facial Emotion Expression Laboratory
Interactive Map

Online Studies:

F-M Portuguese Face Database (F-MPF)

Books:

Freitas-Magalhães, A. (Ed.). (2011). Emotional expression: The brain and the face (Vol. 3). Oporto: University Fernando Pessoa Press.
Freitas-Magalhães, A. (2011). Facial expression of emotion: From theory to application. Oporto: FEELab Science Books.
Freitas-Magalhães, A. (2011). The Ekman code: The brain, face and emotion. Oporto: University Fernando Pessoa Press.
Freitas-Magalhães, A. (Ed.). (2010). Emotional expression: The brain and the face (Vol. 2). Oporto: University Fernando Pessoa Press.
Freitas-Magalhães, A. (2009). The psychology of emotion: The allure of the human face (2nd ed.). Oporto: University Fernando Pessoa Press.
Freitas-Magalhães, A. (2009). The psychology of human smile (2nd ed.). Oporto: University Fernando Pessoa Press.

Other Publications:

Freitas-Magalhães, A. (2012). Facial expression of emotion. In V. S. Ramachandran (Ed.), Encyclopedia of human behavior (Vol. 2, pp.173-183)). Oxford: Elsevier.
Freitas-Magalhães, A. (2011). Emotion: From the brain to the face and back. In A. Freitas-Magalhães (Ed.), Emotional expression: The brain and the face (pp. 1-40). Oporto. University Fernando Pessoa Press.
Freitas-Magalhães, A. (2011, August). Fear Perception Scale: First study of development and validation among the Portuguese population. Paper to be presented at the 2011 Annual APA Convention, Washington, DC, USA.
Freitas-Magalhães, A. (2011, May). The smile and its influence in social interaction. Empirical study with Portuguese subjects. Paper to be presented at the 2011 Annual APS Convention, Washington, DC, USA.
Freitas-Magalhães, A. (2009). The Ekman code or in praise of the science of the human face. In A. Freitas-Magalhães (Ed.), Emotional expression: The brain and the face (pp. ix-xvii). Oporto: University Fernando Pessoa Press.
Freitas-Magalhães, A., & Castro, E. (2011, July). The influence of the musical notes in recognition and representation of the basic emotions. Empirical study with Portuguese children. Paper to be presented at the 12th European Congress of Psychology (ECP), Istanbul, Turkey.
Freitas-Magalhães, A., & Castro, E. (2010, August). Facial expression: The influence of colours in the identification and recognition of basic emotions. Empirical study with Portuguese. Paper presented at the 2010 Annual APA Convention, San Diego, California, USA.
Freitas-Magalhães, A., & Castro, E. (2010, February). Facial expression: The recognition of basic emotions happiness and anger. Empirical study with Portuguese babies of aged between 04 and 08 months. Paper presented at the 38th Annual International Neuropsychological Society Meeting, Acapulco, Mexico.
Freitas-Magalhães, A., & Castro, E. (2010, May). Facial expression: The recognition of fear in alcohol dependents. Empirical study with Portuguese subjects. Paper presented at the 22nd APS Annual Convention - Revolutionary Science, Boston, USA.
Freitas-Magalhães, A., & Castro, E. (2010, September). Facial expression: The recognition of sadness in alcohol dependents. Empirical study with Portuguese subjects. Paper presented at the 24th European Health Psychology Conference - Health in Context, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Freitas-Magalhães, A., & Castro, E. (2009). Facial expression: The effect of the smile in the treatment of depression. Empirical study with Portuguese subjects. In A. Freitas-Magalhães (Ed.), Emotional expression: The brain and the face (pp.129-140). Oporto: University Fernando Pessoa Press.
Freitas-Magalhães, A., & Castro, E. (2009). Facial expression: The recognition of basic emotions in cocaine addicts. Empirical study with Portuguese subjects. In A. Freitas-Magalhães (Ed.), Emotional expression: The brain and the face (pp. 251-258). Oporto: University Fernando Pessoa Press.
Freitas-Magalhães, A., & Castro, E. (2009). Facial expression: The recognition of basic emotions in heroin addicts. Empirical study with Portuguese subjects. In A. Freitas-Magalhães (Ed.), Emotional expression: The brain and the face (pp. 159-166). Oporto: University Fernando Pessoa Press.
Freitas-Magalhães, A., & Castro, E. (2009). The neuropychophysiology construction of the human smile. In A. Freitas-Magalhães (Ed.), Emotional expression: The brain and the face (pp.3-22). Oporto: University Fernando Pessoa Press.

Courses Taught:

Facial Expression of Emotion (Postgraduate Course)
Psychology of Emotions (Ph.D. Program)
Psychology of Facial Emotion [removed]Ph.D. Program)
Psychology of Human Communication (Ph.D. Program)
Psychology of Recognition of Basic Emotions (Ph.D. Program)

Facial Expression of Emotion (Postgraduate Course)
Psychology of Emotions (Ph.D. Program)
Psychology of Facial Emotion [removed]Ph.D. Program)

Psychology of Human Communication (Ph.D. Program)
Psychology of Recognition of Basic Emotions (Ph.D. Program)

Armindo Freitas-Magalhaes
Faculty of Health Sciences
University Fernando Pessoa
Rua Carlos da Maia, 296
4200-150 Porto
Portugal

Phone: (351) 22 507 1300
Fax: (351) 22 550 8269
Skype Name: Freitas-Magalhaes