Chapter 2 - Other Action Unit Combinations in the Upper Face

There are many other combinations of AUs in the upper face which combine two, three, four, or five of the AUs that have been illustrated and discussed. They can be scored by examining combinations of appearance changes of the units or combinations that are described above. They do not modify the appearance changes associated with the units explained earlier, but add appearance changes. They also do not change the criteria for intensity scoring of the Action Units, but combine the rules for their component elements.

There is one exception which has to do with the intensity scoring for scoring AU 5 in certain combinations with AU 4. The Reference section for AU 5 on page 26 lists the combinations containing AU 5 where the criteria for scoring intensity of AU 5 differ from what is required when 5 is alone. In these combinations in the table, the action of AU 4 pushes down on the upper eyelid, changing the criteria for scoring AU 5.

Note that 1+2+4+5 (see Figure 2-2), is not listed in this Table, even though it contains a 4 action. The upward pull of 1+2 counteracts the effects of AU 4 pushing down the upper lid, and therefore the intensity criteria for AU 5 alone are applied to this combination. If only AU 1 or 2 combines with 4+5 or 4+5+7, then the effect of AU 4 is not counteracted and the revised criteria for scoring the intensity of 5 as described after the Reference for AU 5 on page 26 are applied.

In all combinations including AU 5 which are not listed in the table in the Reference section for AU 5, the intensity criteria for AU 5 are the same as for AU 5 when it acts alone.