For years, researchers have sought to identify facial features and movements that make a difference to an observer when judging emotional displays. One area that has received attention is that of semantic dimensions of facial expressions. Factor analysis has revealed three such dimensions: pleasantness, activity (tension), and control (spontaneity). A study investigated whether the semantic dimensions of pancultural facial expressions configured differently--from one another and within each expression. Subjects were 312 college students who viewed seven slides of actors' faces displaying the emotions of anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise. One slide depicted a neutral expression. As they viewed the slides, the subjects identified the emotion displayed and completed several semantic differential scales associated with the dimensions of pleasantness, activitiy, and control. ANOVA revealed differences between expressions on the dimensions and between dimensions for each of the expressions. The results support the need for researchers to study different faces and different populations before accepting the proposition that the pancultural expressions have different and stable semantic space configurations. (FL)