Final answer:
The study likely related to the universality and evolutionary significance of facial expressions supports Darwin's claim that the facial expression of emotions has survival value. Research has shown that these expressions are universal across cultures and even among congenitally blind individuals, implying a biological foundation that has been naturally selected for enhancing communication and survival.
Step-by-step explanation:
The study by Hansen and Hansen referenced in your lecture likely refers to research on the universality of facial expressions and their evolutionary significance. This research connects to the broader context established by Paul Ekman's work. Ekman's classic study involved showing that people across various cultures, including those from preliterate societies, could recognize and produce similar facial expressions related to universal emotions such as happiness, surprise, sadness, fright, disgust, contempt, and anger. The fact that congenitally blind individuals also exhibit these facial expressions suggests a biological basis for this phenomenon.
Darwin's claim that the facial expression of emotions has survival value is supported by this body of work. It suggests that the capacity to produce and recognize emotions through facial expressions could have been naturally selected because it enhances an individual's ability to communicate and respond to environmental challenges. This, in turn, can affect natural selection, as individuals who are better at expressing and interpreting emotions are more likely to survive and reproduce.
An understanding of these universal expressions and their evolutionary roots also highlights the role of emotional communication in human society and its potential impact on survival and genetic inheritance - aligning with the idea that certain behavioral traits are preserved through evolutionary processes as they offer a survival advantage.