According to Ekman and Friesen's research on basic emotions, which two emotions did participants have some difficulty distinguishing from one another?

• A. Happiness and sadness
• B. Anger and disgust
• C. Contempt and shame
• D. Fear and surprise

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that Ekman and Friesen's research focused on identifying basic emotions that are universally recognized through facial expressions.
2. Recall that their studies involved participants from various cultures identifying emotions from photographs of facial expressions.
3. Note that while most basic emotions were easily recognized, some pairs of emotions were often confused by participants.
4. Identify that the two emotions participants had difficulty distinguishing between were Fear and Surprise, due to similarities in their facial expressions.
5. Recognize that this confusion highlights the subtle differences in facial muscle movements that differentiate these two emotions.