Profiles of power: lateral posing asymmetries of emotional expression in political portraits

Facial appearance plays a key role in social and political judgments, yet the mechanisms linking facial pose and emotional expression remain unclear. One robust phenomenon is a left-cheek posing bias, often attributed to asymmetries in emotional expression. The current study examined this issue using facial photographs of all candidates (N = 1,107) in a Japanese national election. Head orientation and smile intensity were estimated using image-based measures. A reliable left-cheek bias was observed, with a stronger bias among conservative politicians. Left-cheek posing was not associated with smiling. However, among conservatives, reduced smiling was associated with an increased likelihood of right-cheek posing. These findings replicate posing asymmetries in a non-Western context and suggest that lateral posing asymmetries may be linked to the regulation of emotional expression.