Current empirical evidence, including meta-analytic findings and neuromuscular stimulation studies, supports the facial feedback hypothesis, showing that manipulating facial expressions like a smile can trigger or influence emotional experiences and affective evaluations.
Papers [0], [1], and [2] provide direct empirical and meta-analytic evidence supporting the facial feedback hypothesis, demonstrating that facial muscle manipulation (such as smiling or electrical stimulation) reliably influences emotional experience, perception, and affective judgments. Papers [3] through [11] are either tangential or investigate distinct topics such as vocalization mimicry, emotion-aware AI, or art therapy, and therefore do not provide evidence against the claim. Consequently, the balance of evidence clearly supports the claim.