AnimalFACS
GibbonFACS
A repository to access GibbonFACS information and documentation
What GibbonFACS is:
The Gibbon Facial Action Coding System (GibbonFACS) is a scientific observational tool for identifying and coding facial movements in hylobatids. The system is based on the facial anatomy of gibbons and has been adapted from the original FACS system used for humans created by Ekman and Friesen (1978). The GibbonFACS manual details how to use the system and code the facial movements of hylobatids objectively. The manual and certification is freely available (see below).
More info regarding the development of this FACS system can be found here:
What GibbonFACS isn’t:
GibbonFACS is not an ethogram of facial expressions, and does not make any inference about any underlying emotion or context causing the movement. Instead this is an objective coding scheme with no assumption about what represents a facial expression in this species. It will not explicitally teach you Gibbon facial expressions
Useage of materials
Please note, you are not permitted to use any videos provided with the FACS manuals, or test, without written permitted from the owners. Please contact animalfacsuk@gmail.com if you wish to request permissions to use any materials.
Accessing the manual
The GibbonFACS Manual is freely available via the link below GibbonFACS Manual
The associated training videos can be accessed here. Training/Example Videos
Accessing the test
To become a certified GibbonFACS coder, we encourage you to take the associated test. The GibbonFACS test involves trainees to accurately code the facial movements in a series of video clips
The test can be accessed here: GibbonFACS Test materials
PLEASE FILL OUT THE FOLLOWING FORM TO SUBMIT YOUR TEST ANSWERS FOR CERTIFICATION. Note: a Google account is required.
Click here to begin certification test
The people behind it
GibbonFACS was developed thanks to the joint effort of:
Bridget M. Waller, Department of Psychology, Nottingham Trent University Katja Liebal, Department Educational Science and Psychology, Comparative Developmental Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin Anne M. Burrows, Department of Physical Therapy, Duquesne University (PA, USA) Manuela Ersson-Lembeck, Department Educational Science and Psychology, Comparative Developmental Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin Linda Oña, Cluster of Excellence Languages of Emotion, Department Educational Science and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin Paul Kuchenbuch, Cluster of Excellence Languages of Emotion, Department Educational Science and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin
Acknowledgments
The authors thank Robert Zingg and Zoo Zurich (Switzerland), Jennifer Spalton and Twycross Zoo (UK), Neil Spooner & Matt Ford and Howletts Wild Animal Park (UK), Corinne Di Trani and Mulhouse Zoo (France) for allowing us to collect footage of their animals. We also thank Gill Vale for support in collecting some of the video footage, Cátia Caeiro for reliability coding and Wiebke Hoffmann for general assistance.