Dr. Zara Ambadar

Cognitive Psychology
Department of Psychology
University of Pittsburgh

Office:
4323 Sennott Square.

210. S. bouquet St.
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15260

Email Address: ambadar@pitt.edu

Research Interests:

Education:

PhD in Cognitive Psychology , Dept. of Psychology , University of Pittsburgh , August 2002.
MSc in Intelligent Systems , Brunel University, London, UK, August, 1994 .
BS in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology , The University of Indonesia , July, 1989.

Other Affiliations:

Selected Publications:

Ambadar, Z., Cohn, J.F., and Reed, L.I. (2007). All Smiles are Not Created Equal: Morphology and Timing of Amused, Polite, and Embarrassed Smiles as Perceived by Observers. Manuscript Submitted for Publication. For examples of smiles perceived as conveying different meanings click the following links: Amused Embarrased Polite
Cohn, J. F., Ambadar, Z., & Ekman, P. (2007). Observer-based measurement of facial expression with the Facial Action Coding System. To appear in J.A. Coan & J.B. Allen (Eds.), The handbook of emotion elicitation and assessment. (pp. 222-238). Oxford University Press Series in Affective Science. New York: Oxford University Press.
Geraerts, E., Schooler, J., Merckelbach, H., Jelicic, M., Hauer, B. J. A., & Ambadar, Z. (2006). Discriminating fact from fiction in recovered memories of childhood sexual abuse. Manuscript submitted for publication.
Messinger, D.S., Cassel, T.D., Acosta, S.I., Ambadar, Z., and Cohn, J.F. (2006). Computer-vision based measurement of early smiling and perceived positive emotion. Manuscript submitted for publication.
Slifer, K.J., Pulbrook, V., Amari, A., Vona-Messersmith, N., Cohn, J.F., Ambadar, Z., Beck, M., & Pisczcor, R. (2006). Social acceptance and facial behavior in children with oral clefts. The Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal., 43, 226-236.
Schmidt, K.L., Ambadar, Z., Cohn, J.F., & Reed, L.I. (2006). Movement differences between deliberate and spontaneous facial expressions: Zygomaticus Major action in smiling. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 3(1), 37-52.
Ambadar, Z., Schooler, J. W., & Cohn, J. F. (2005). Deciphering the enigmatic face: The importance of facial dynamics in interpreting subtle facial expressions. Psychological Science,16(5), 403-410.
Breugelmans, S., Poortinga, Y.H., Ambadar, Z., Setiadi, B., Vaca, J.B., Widiyanto, P., & Phillipot, P. (2005). Body sensations associated with emotions in Rarámuri Indians, Rural Javanese, and three student samples. Emotion. 5(2), 166-174.
Cohn, J. F, Reed, L. I., Ambadar, Z., Xiao, J., & Moriyama, T. (2004). Automatic analysis and recognition of facial action units and out-of-plane head motion in spontaneous behavior. Manuscript in preparation.
Cohn, J. F., Xiao, J., Moriyama, T., Ambadar, Z., & Kanade, T. (2003). Automatic recognition of eye blinking in spontaneously occurring behavior. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, and Computers, 35, 420-428.
Shooler, J., Bendiksen, M., and Ambadar, Z. (1997). Taking The Middle Line: Can We Accomodate Both Fabricated and Recovered Memories of Sexual Abuse? In M.A. Conway (Ed). False and Recovered Memories. pp xxx-xxx
Ambadar, Z. and Schooler, J.W. (1995). Can language Read a Face: The Effect of Verbal Overshadowing on Perception of Facial Expression. Paper presented at the XIII Annual Pitt-CMU Graduate Student Conference , Pittsburgh.
Ambadar, Z. (1994) Lateral Asymmetry in Perception of Facial Expression. Master's Thesis at the Brunel University, London, UK.
Ambadar, Z. (1993). Moral Feeling, Moral Evaluation and Moral Action Tendency of the Students of the University of Indonesia. Publication of The Institute of Research, The University of Indonesia , October.
Ambadar, Z. (1992). Decision Making under Professional Ethical Dilemmas of the Students of Psychology and Psychologists from Three State Universities. Publication of The Institute of Research, The University of Indonesia, October.
Ambadar, Z. (1989). Decision Making under Professional Ethical Dilemmas of the Students of Psychology and Psychologists from The University of Indonesia. Bachelor Thesis, Faculty of Psychology, University of Indonesia.

Links to other websites

The Affect Analysis Group
The Face Group
Facial Action Coding System (FACS)
Psychology Online Services.
Cognitive and Experimental Psychology Resources.

Last Update: April, 22, 2007