EMFACS -- Scoring for Emotion with FACS

Description of Emotion FACS (EMFACS)

EMFACS is a way to use FACS to score only AUs that might be relevant to emotion

EMFACS is a method for using Facial Action Coding System (FACS) to score only the facial actions that might be relevant to detecting emotion. EMFACS is an acronym for Emotion FACS. Ekman and Friesen developed EMFACS during the 1980s as a way to reduce scoring time when an investigator is interested only in the emotion signals of the face. Since using EMFACS successfully requires competence in using FACS, the authors provide EMFACS only to individuals who have passed the FACS Final Test. These successful trainees may download EMFACS from this site by requesting a password (see below). The format of the documents describing EMFACS is Adobe Acrobat®. The authors' Introduction to EMFACS describes its rationale and uses in more detail.

EMFACS originally was available with a computer program, the EMFACS Dictionary, developed by Wallace V. Friesen and Paul Ekman. This program converted the EMFACS scores to emotion codes. This program is not available from this site and probably cannot be obtained elsewhere. See the FACSAID section for a brief history and an alternative method for interpreting FACS scores in terms of emotion. EMFACS and FACSAID can be used together.

How to Obtain EMFACS

You can download EMFACS from this website. Only people who have passed the FACS Final Test are eligible to download EMFACS. The prerequisite of passing the FACS Final Test is imposed by its authors, and cannot be waived by using the procedures of this website. Please direct pleas for exceptions to the EMFACS authors, not this site. (Their policy is not to grant exceptions. Waivers they may grant are not serviced on this website.)

To download EMFACS requires a userid and password. If you do no have a userid and password, request an authorization. The documentation for EMFACS can then be downloaded from the EMFACS Download page.

To summarize, the steps for obtaining EMFACS are:

• Iif you have not previously done so, request a userid and password. You will receive an acknowledgement via email. Keep a copy for future use.
• Use the links in the email or on this page to go to the download page.
• You may be asked to logon. Enter your userid and password provided in the acknowledgement email.
• The downloadable documents are the only EMFACS materials available at this website. Further advice is unavailable here.

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