Regulating emotional facial expressions is crucial for successful social interaction, engaging both cognitive control and affective processing systems. The present research examined how aquired attitudes toward others influence the inhibition of affiliative facial expressions such as smiling. Across three studies, participants first acquired positive or negative attitudes toward target faces through an evaluative learning task and then completed facial expression and approach–avoidance measurements.

Behavioral and electromyographic (EMG) findings revealed that inhibiting affiliative expressions was more effective toward negatively valenced targets, whereas inhibition of disengaging expressions (e.g., frowning) was not modulated by target valence. During suppression trials, the zygomaticus major (ZM) muscle showed greater peak activation for positively valenced targets, reflecting increased congruent activity. Approach–avoidance measures further indicated an approach bias toward smiling targets associated with positive attitudes, but not toward smiling targets associated with negative attitudes.

A forth study employing EEG is currently being analyzed to examine neural correlates of this process. Specifically, we analyze conflict-related components (N2, ERN) and face processing indicators during a social Go/NoGo task to determine when emotional displays of disliked others are discounted and whether they elicit enhanced conflict. Together, these findings integrate theories of cognitive control and social–emotional conflict in the regulation of facial actions.