The faces of Lego's toy figurines have become increasingly angry and could affect child development, according to a New Zealand study headed by Dr Christof Bartneck, a robot expert from the University of Canterbury.
The study of Lego's 6000 mini-figures released from 1975 to 2010 found they all had the same smiley face until 1989, when more and more faces started to express fear and anger.
"We cannot help but wonder how the move from only positive faces to an increasing number of negative faces impacts how children play," the study said.
"The proportion of happy faces is decreasing over time."
The study also questioned the number of weapons the Lego figures wielded in certain sets.
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