Communicating Emotional State and Personality with Eye-color and Light Intensity

Abstract

We conducted two experiments where subjects rated images of a robot head with different eye colors and light intensities on how well they communicate emotions like anger, enjoyment, and surprise, as well as personality traits like friendliness, intelligence, and level of trust. Results indicate e.g. that green and turquoise eye colors were more associated with agreeable personality traits. We found also that for sadness and disgust, dimming light intensity appears to communicate more intense feeling. Finally, red communicates negative emotions most saliently.