Final answer:
Facial expressions for certain emotions are indeed universal across cultures, as supported by research, notably Paul Ekman's studies and Darwin's earlier observations. Although cultures have their own rules about emotional expression, the basic facial expressions for emotions like happiness and anger are consistently similar world-wide.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question addresses whether facial expressions for certain emotions are universal across cultures. In response, the assertion is true. The research by Paul Ekman, among others, supports the idea that the ability to produce and recognize facial expressions of emotions is universal, transcending cultural backgrounds. Ekman's studies, including his work with a man from a preliterate culture in New Guinea, demonstrated that certain emotional expressions, such as happiness, sadness, and anger, are recognized and expressed in similar ways across different cultures. This supports Charles Darwin's earlier observations on the universality of emotional expressions. While cultural display rules may dictate when and how emotions are expressed, the underlying facial expressions for emotions such as happiness, surprise, sadness, fright, disgust, contempt, and anger are largely the same around the world.