Last Friday it was announced that face masks will now be compulsory in shops, as well as on public transport. Many see wearing a face mask as a no brainer (without getting too political, myself included). Despite inconsistent advice at the beginning, it is now suggested that wearing a face mask can reduce transmission by up to 85%. As many of you will know, if you are carrying COVID-19, you don’t always display symptoms, therefore, though you might not realise it, by wearing a mask, we can save lives. In this article, I will discuss the other effects of masks on our everyday lives.
Emotions
It is said that humans can recognise faces from birth. Whether faces are special or not is a massive debate in itself, but what we cannot deny is that infants are able to detect faces very quickly. The purpose of emotion detection can partially be explained through communication. Even when we go on holiday without knowing the language, we can usually get by through distinguishing a smile from a frown. It is said that communication is 93% non-verbal. If this is the case, how will wearing face masks impact emotion detection, if part of our face is occluded? Will we struggle to communicate? In a study at Bielefeld University in Germany, researchers found that participants largely relied on the eyes and mouth area, when recognising emotions. Specifically, emotions such as sadness and fear were mainly depicted through the eyes, and disgust and happiness using the mouth. So, if the mouth is so important in emotion recognition, won’t this make it difficult to avoid awkward situations? Well, maybe, but this might just be something we have to adapt to. Although it may be strange at first, this doesn’t warrant us leaving the mask at home.
Attraction
Why do some like the idea of face masks? Despite the benefits face masks can bring to our health, there are other positives you might never have thought of. One of these is to do with attractiveness. Not what you thought I was going to say, right? It is said that the brain is hypersensitive to detecting faces. This is known as pareidolia (for example, when you look at your breakfast in the morning and think you see a face in it. Trippy, I know!). Some argue that this is because the brain favours faces over other inanimate interpretations. Researcher Nancy Kanwisher and others found that when they displayed participants with pictures of faces compared to inanimate objects, many displayed activity in the Extrastriate Cortex in the brain. This has become known as the Fusiform Face Area, as, it is believed, that its primary function is face detection. This explains why you see faces when looking up at the clouds! But what has this got to do with masks? Well, researchers have found that occluding half of the face significantly increased perceived attractiveness ratings. Researchers even went as far to say that 50% less face resulted in 40% more attractiveness! They believed the reason for this is because our brains attempt to ‘fill in’ absent information, due to its bias to detect faces. It might be the case that the brain visualises a much more attractive face than is actually under the mask. So, they might be helpful in hiding that pesky spot from your crush!
Anonymity
Despite these positives, some believe that wearing face masks can have a negative impact on our social behaviour. A paper recently published by Samuel Cohn argued that wearing face masks during the Spanish Flu Pandemic appeared to correlate with transgressing social norms. This may be explained through the theory of deindividuation. This theory was first put forward by a Psychologist named Leon Festinger to describe a psychological state, in which inner constraints are lost. Deindividuation often occurs in a group (or), as Philip Zimbardo found, in situations of anonymity. Zimbardo discovered that participants who wore hooded cloaks, which hid their faces, were more likely to administer an electric shock to a person when asked. It was thought that this was because, when wearing something which disguises your identity, this decreases concerns about how others may judge you. Some people have likened this to wearing face masks. However, as always in Psychology, it isn’t always cause and effect! Correct me if I’m wrong, but I doubt that putting on a face mask before going to the supermarket, suddenly makes you want to rob the place! Moreover, there are many cultures who wore face coverings prior to COVID-19, and these cultures do not have a higher crime rates than others. Therefore, we cannot take this as gospel.
Whilst face masks might have unexpected positive and negative effects on our lives, to wear them is an act of social solidarity and respect for others. Although you might have your doubts, a face mask is much easier to breathe through than a ventilator! So, in answer to the question, yes, they are worth the hype! Plus, you never know, they might be your secret weapon to finding your Mr Right! If you’re still confused about the benefits of face masks, and why you should be wearing one, please click this link. Don’t forget to subscribe on the homepage to keep up to date. Happy Learning!