In the Media
Curriculum VitaeLinks
|  Approximately 130,000 Americans develop or are born with facial paralysis each year. There are many conditions that cause facial paralysis, including: Moebius syndrome, Bell’s palsy, Ramsay Hunt syndrome, Lyme disease, stroke, sarcidosis, acoustic neuroma, otitis media (ear infections), and facial nerve damage from surgery or trauma. Additionally, other conditions can cause facial movement problems, including: Parkinson’s disease, muscular dystrophy, muscular sclerosis, facial burns, hemifacial microsomia, and Goldenhar's syndrome, Facial paralysis is a relatively common occurrence, but there have been very few studies on the psychological and social effects of facial paralysis. My research on the psychosocial consequences of facial movement disorders not only highlights the importance of facial expression in emotion, empathy, communication, and interaction, but, crucially, reveals the role of body and vocal expression in these areas. My research program is threefold: I examine how people with facial movement disorders adapt to their conditions, the way that other people interpret their behavior, and ways to facilitate effective and positive interaction between people with and without facial movement disorders. My research suggests that people with facial movement disorders are often perceived as sad, depressed, introverted, or apathetic. Although there are serious social consequences of facial movement disorders, people can compensate for their lack of facial expression by using compensatory expressive behaviors such as body language, tone of voice, and verbal disclosure to communicate emotion, and people interacting with those with facial movement disorders can look beyond the face and focus on other expressive behaviors to improve the accuracy of their impressions. This is particularly important for people who frequently interact with people with facial movement disorders, such as their family members, friends, educators, and healthcare providers. Publications
Bogart, K. R.,
Cole, J., Briegel, W., (in press). On the consequences of living
without facial expression. Invited chapter to appear in C. Muller, E.
Fricke, A. Cienki, D. McNeil (Eds.), Handbook of Body – Language - Communication. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. Bogart, K. R., Tickle-Degnen, L., & Ambady, N. (in press). Compensatory expressive behavior for facial paralysis: Adaptation to congenital or acquired disability. Rehabilitation Psychology. Bogart, K. R., Tickle-Degnen, L., & Joffe, M. (in press). Social interaction experiences of adults with Moebius syndrome: A focus group. Journal of Health Psychology. Bogart, K. R. (2011). Is apathy a valid and meaningful symptom or syndrome in Parkinson's disease? A critical review. Health Psychology, 30(4), 386-400. Bogart, K. R. and Matsumoto, D. (2010). Facial mimicry is not necessary to recognize emotion: Facial expression recognition by people with Moebius syndrome. Social Neuroscience, 5(2), 241-251. Bogart, K. R. and Matsumoto, D. (2010). Living with Moebius syndrome: Adjustment, social competence, and satisfaction with life. Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal, 47(2), 134-142. Talks
Bogart, K. R. (forthcoming, 2012, January). Perceiving Emotion of People with Facial Paralysis: Evidence for Holistic Integration of Multiple Communication Channels. Brief Talk, Nonverbal Behavior Preconference, Society for Personality and Social Psychology, San Diego, CA.Bogart, K. R. (2011, March). Communicating without the face: Psychosocial Consequences of Congenital and Acquired Facial Paralysis. Invited talk, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York. Bogart, K. R. (January, 2011). About Faces Forum. Panel discussion. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Conference on Facial Differences. Pittsburgh, PA. Bogart, K. R. (November, 2010). Social Affordances and Attunement in Facial Movement Disorders. Keynote speech, Social Affordances Workshop, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Bogart, K. R., (July, 2010). The Social Psychological Implications of Moebius Syndrome. Invited talk, Moebius Syndrome Research Symposium, International Moebius Syndrome Conference, Denver, CO. Bogart, K. R., & Tickle-Degnen, L. (February, 2009). Expressive Communication Beyond Facial Paralysis. Facilitated discussion, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary Facial Paralysis Support Group, Boston, MA. Bogart, K. R. (July, 2008). The Psychology of Moebius Syndrome: Facial Expression Recognition Ability, Social Skills, and Adjustment. Invited talk, International Moebius Syndrome Conference, Parsippany, NJ. Awards and Honors
EducationPhD Candidate, Experimental Psychology, Tufts University, Expected: May 2012.MA Psychology, Social Psychology, San Francisco State University, May 2008. BS Psychology and English, Creative Writing, Louisiana State University, magna cum laude, May 2004. 
From Peter Dunlap-Shohl's blog, "Off & On", about life with Parkinson's disease. Posted with permission. |
