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Sfärlea A, Buhl C, Lukas L, Schulte-Körne G. Superior facial emotion recognition in adolescents with anorexia nervosa - A replication study. EUROPEAN EATING DISORDERS REVIEW 2024; 32:943-951. [PMID: 38733271 DOI: 10.1002/erv.3103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Anorexia nervosa (AN) has been associated with alterations in the processing of socio-emotional information, including impairments in the recognition of emotions in other people's faces. However, adolescents with AN might not show the impairments found in adult patients. The present study investigated facial emotion recognition in adolescents with AN, aiming to replicate our previous results of superior emotion recognition abilities in adolescents with AN compared to adolescents without mental disorders. METHOD Adolescent girls (12-18 years) with AN (n = 33) were compared to girls without mental disorders (n = 41). Participants completed one task requiring identification of emotions (happy, sad, afraid, angry, neutral) in faces and one control task. RESULTS As expected, adolescents with AN showed superior emotion recognition, with higher accuracy rates specifically for afraid faces. CONCLUSION This is the first study replicating previous results on basic emotion recognition in adolescents with AN using (almost) the same methodology. The results suggest that, in contrast to adults, adolescents with AN do not show impairments in facial emotion recognition. The impairments may arise in the longer course of the illness, however, longitudinal studies are necessary to confirm this assumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anca Sfärlea
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Christina Buhl
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Linda Lukas
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Gerd Schulte-Körne
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
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2
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Nuding L, Lukas L, Platt B, Schulte-Körne G, Sfärlea A. Look me in the eyes! A preliminary study on eye-contact in adolescents with anorexia nervosa. EUROPEAN EATING DISORDERS REVIEW 2024; 32:13-19. [PMID: 37525386 DOI: 10.1002/erv.3016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Anorexia nervosa (AN) is often associated with impairments in the socio-emotional domain. Avoidance of eye-contact may underlie some of these difficulties and has been found in adults with AN in several studies. This study aimed to clarify whether adolescents with AN also show reduced eye-contact when viewing social stimuli, that is, faces. METHODS In this cross-sectional study, girls aged 12-18 years with AN (n = 38) were compared with a clinical (girls with depression and/or anxiety disorders; n = 30) and a healthy (n = 36) control group. Eye-contact was operationalised as maintenance of visual attention to the eye-area of faces showing different emotional expressions (happy, angry, afraid, sad, neutral), recorded via eye-tracking. RESULTS Contrary to our expectations, we did not find adolescents with AN to dwell less on the eye-area than control groups; instead, we found preliminary evidence for increased attention to the eye-area in the AN group compared to the healthy control group. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that reduced eye-contact found in adult AN samples is not (yet) present in adolescents with AN but may develop with the prolonged duration of the disorder. However, replication and longitudinal studies are needed to confirm this assumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Nuding
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Linda Lukas
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Belinda Platt
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Gerd Schulte-Körne
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Anca Sfärlea
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
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3
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Gaggero G, Luminet O, Vermeulen N, De Timary P, Nandrino JL, Goffinet S, Dereau J, Shankland R, Dassonneville C, Grynberg D. A multidimensional examination of affective and cognitive empathy in anorexia nervosa. EUROPEAN EATING DISORDERS REVIEW 2023. [PMID: 37081796 DOI: 10.1002/erv.2980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
Socio-emotional features are crucial in the development and maintenance of anorexia nervosa (AN). The present study investigates the patterns of altered and preserved empathic abilities in AN. Empathy is an umbrella term that comprises the ability to recognise another's emotional state, take another's perspective, and fantasise (cognitive empathy), as well as the ability to experience vicarious emotions and signal them (affective empathy). These empathic abilities were measured in 43 AN patients and 33 healthy women through a multi-method approach comprising self-report measures, behavioural tasks and bodily correlates. Further, we assessed self-reported approach-avoidance attitudes towards suffering others. Results showed that, within the domain of cognitive empathy, AN patients reported impairment in recognising emotional expressions of anger and fantasising. Concerning affective empathy, they manifested lower sharing of others' positive emotions, higher self-reported distress, and higher facial expressiveness during a video depicting a suffering person. Finally, AN patients reported lower motivation to approach suffering others. Our results draw a complex picture of preserved and altered empathic abilities in AN and capture which are the deficits mediated by the higher levels of anxiety and depression reported by the AN population and those that seem to persist independently from these co-morbid conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Gaggero
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, UMR 9193 - SCALab - Sciences Cognitives et Sciences Affectives, Lille, France
| | - O Luminet
- Psychological Science Research Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- Fund for Scientific Research (FRS-FNRS), Brussels, Belgium
| | - N Vermeulen
- Psychological Science Research Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- Fund for Scientific Research (FRS-FNRS), Brussels, Belgium
| | - P De Timary
- Department of Adult Psychiatry, UCLouvain, Institute of Neuroscience and Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium
| | - J L Nandrino
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, UMR 9193 - SCALab - Sciences Cognitives et Sciences Affectives, Lille, France
| | - S Goffinet
- Service de Psychiatrie Infanto-Juvénile, Hospital Erasme, HUB, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - J Dereau
- Clinique La Ramée, Bruxelles, Belgique
| | - R Shankland
- Laboratory DIPHE (Development, Individual, Personality, Handicap, Education), Department of Psychology of Development, Education and Vulnerabilities, University Lumière Lyon, Bron, France
- Laboratory LIP/PC2S, Department of Psychology, University Grenoble Alpes/Savoie-Mont-Blanc, Grenoble, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
| | - C Dassonneville
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, UMR 9193 - SCALab - Sciences Cognitives et Sciences Affectives, Lille, France
| | - D Grynberg
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, UMR 9193 - SCALab - Sciences Cognitives et Sciences Affectives, Lille, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
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4
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Sfärlea A, Radix AK, Schulte-Körne G, Legenbauer T, Platt B. Attention Biases for Eating Disorder-Related Stimuli Versus Social Stimuli in Adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa - An Eye-Tracking Study. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2023; 51:541-555. [PMID: 36418631 PMCID: PMC10017650 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-022-00993-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Anorexia nervosa (AN) is characterized by attention biases for eating disorder-related information as well as altered attentional processing of social information. However, little is known about the interplay between the altered attentional processing of these two types of information. The present study investigates attention biases for eating disorder-related information (pictures of bodies) versus social information (pictures of faces), in adolescents with AN. Attention biases were assessed via eye-tracking during a passive-viewing task in which female bodies and faces were presented simultaneously and thus competed directly for attention. Female adolescents (13-18 years) with AN (n = 28) were compared to a clinical comparison group (adolescents with major depression; n = 20) and a comparison group of adolescents with no mental illness (n = 24). All groups looked longer at bodies than at faces, i.e., showed attention biases for bodies in maintenance of attention. These biases were more pronounced in adolescents with AN than in both comparison groups, particularly for underweight bodies, at the expense of looking less at social stimuli. The results indicate "dual" attention biases in adolescents with AN (i.e., towards bodies and away from emotional faces) which could have a twofold negative impact on eating disorder psychopathology: increased attention to eating disorder-related information might directly influence eating disorder symptoms while less attention to social information might have an indirect influence through the amplification of interpersonal difficulties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anca Sfärlea
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Research Department, Nussbaumstr. 5, 80336, Munich, Germany.
| | - Anne Kathrin Radix
- LWL-University Clinic of the RUB Bochum, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics, Hamm, Germany
| | - Gerd Schulte-Körne
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Research Department, Nussbaumstr. 5, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Tanja Legenbauer
- LWL-University Clinic of the RUB Bochum, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics, Hamm, Germany
| | - Belinda Platt
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Research Department, Nussbaumstr. 5, 80336, Munich, Germany
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5
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Rubo M, Käthner I, Munsch S. Attention to faces in images is associated with personality and psychopathology. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0280427. [PMID: 36791081 PMCID: PMC9931157 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans show a robust tendency to look at faces in images, but also differ consistently in the strength of this attentional preference. Previous research remained inconclusive as to how a stronger face preference may be indicative of an individual's personality or clinical characteristics. Here we investigated face preferences in 120 participants (primarily drawn from a student population) who freely viewed photos in an internet browser showing a person in the context of a visually rich environment while attention was assessed using a cursor-based technique. Participants differed consistently in the strength of their face preference across images. A stronger preference for faces was correlated positively with openness to experience, extraversion, agreeableness and empathizing and was correlated negatively with social anxiety, depression levels and alexithymia. Trait measures were linked through a strong common factor which was additionally correlated with face preference. We conclude that face preferences may be linked to personality traits and to psychopathology but that an attribution to a specific facet of psychopathology may not be warranted. Future research should investigate links between face preferences and personality features in more diverse samples and across differing social situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marius Rubo
- Cognitive Psychology, Perception and Research Methods, Department of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
| | - Ivo Käthner
- Department of Psychology I, Biological Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Simone Munsch
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
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Kerr-Gaffney J, Jones E, Mason L, Hayward H, Murphy D, Loth E, Tchanturia K. Social attention in anorexia nervosa and autism spectrum disorder: Role of social motivation. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2022; 26:1641-1655. [PMID: 34845940 PMCID: PMC9483678 DOI: 10.1177/13623613211060593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT Research suggests a relationship between autism and anorexia nervosa. For example, rigid and inflexible behaviour, a preference for routine and social difficulties are seen in both conditions. In this study, we examined whether people with anorexia and people with autism show similarities in social attention (where they look while engaging in social interactions or watching a scene with people interacting). This could help us understand why people with anorexia and autism experience difficulties in social situations. Participants with either anorexia or autism, as well as participants with no mental health problems watched a video of a social scene while we recorded which parts of the scene they looked at with an eye-tracker. Participants also completed questionnaires to assess characteristics of autism. We found that autistic participants looked at faces less than typically developing participants. However, participants with anorexia did not show a similar reduction in attention to faces, contrary to our predictions. Autistic features were not related to attention in either group. The results suggest that autistic people may miss important social cues (like facial expressions), potentially contributing to social difficulties. However, this mechanism does not appear explain social difficulties in people with anorexia.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Kate Tchanturia
- King’s College London, UK
- South London and Maudsley NHS
Trust, UK
- Ilia State University,
Georgia
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7
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Disgust and Self-Disgust in Eating Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14091728. [PMID: 35565699 PMCID: PMC9102838 DOI: 10.3390/nu14091728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Disgust and self-disgust are aversive emotions which are often encountered in people with eating disorders. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of disgust and self-disgust in people with eating disorders using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The systematic review of the literature revealed 52 original research papers. There was substantial heterogeneity regarding the research question and outcomes. However, we found 5 articles on disgust elicited by food images, 10 studies on generic disgust sensitivity, and 4 studies on self-disgust, and we proceeded to a meta-analytic approach on these studies. We found that women with eating disorders have significantly higher momentary disgust feelings in response to food images (1.32; 95% CI 1.05, 1.59), higher generic disgust sensitivity (0.49; 95% CI 0.24, 0.71), and higher self-disgust (1.90; 95% CI 1.51, 2.29) compared with healthy controls. These findings indicate the potential clinical relevance of disgust and self-disgust in the treatment of eating disorders.
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8
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Duriez P, Guy-Rubin A, Kaya Lefèvre H, Gorwood P. Morphing analysis of facial emotion recognition in anorexia nervosa: association with physical activity. Eat Weight Disord 2022; 27:1053-1061. [PMID: 34213746 DOI: 10.1007/s40519-021-01254-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Anorexia Nervosa (AN) has been linked to emotion processing inefficiencies, social cognition difficulties and emotion dysregulation, but data on Facial Emotion Recognition (FER) are heterogenous and inconclusive. This study aims to explore FER in patients with AN using a dynamic and ecological evaluation, and its relationship with Physical Activity (PA), an important aspect of AN that could impact emotional processing. METHODS Sixty-six participants (33 patients with AN and 33 healthy controls) performed a morphed facial emotional recognition task and 49 of them wore an accelerometer during seven days to assess PA. Axis-I disorders and depressive symptoms have been assessed. RESULTS No difference was found regarding time to recognize facial emotions. However, patients with AN correctly recognize emotions more frequently than controls. This was specific to disgust, although there was also a tendency for sadness. Among patients, higher depressive scores are associated with a faster and more accurate recognition of disgust, while a higher level of PA is associated to decreased accuracy in recognizing sadness. CONCLUSION Patients with AN are capable of recognizing facial emotions as accurately as controls, but could have a higher sensitivity in recognizing negative emotions, especially disgust and sadness. PA has opposite effects and, thus, could be considered as an emotional regulation strategy against negative affect. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE II Controlled trial without randomization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philibert Duriez
- GHU Paris Psychiatrie Et Neurosciences, Hôpital Sainte-Anne, CMME, 1 rue Cabanis, 75014, Paris, France.,Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris (IPNP), Université de Paris, INSERM U1266, 75014, Paris, France
| | - Aurore Guy-Rubin
- GHU Paris Psychiatrie Et Neurosciences, Hôpital Sainte-Anne, CMME, 1 rue Cabanis, 75014, Paris, France
| | - Héline Kaya Lefèvre
- GHU Paris Psychiatrie Et Neurosciences, Hôpital Sainte-Anne, CMME, 1 rue Cabanis, 75014, Paris, France. .,Université de Paris, LPPS, 92100, Boulogne-Billancourt, France.
| | - Philip Gorwood
- GHU Paris Psychiatrie Et Neurosciences, Hôpital Sainte-Anne, CMME, 1 rue Cabanis, 75014, Paris, France.,Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris (IPNP), Université de Paris, INSERM U1266, 75014, Paris, France
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9
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Sfärlea A, Lukas L, Schulte-Körne G, Platt B. The KOALA-study: study protocol for a comprehensive study of cognitive biases in adolescent anorexia nervosa patients compared to healthy and clinical controls. J Eat Disord 2021; 9:139. [PMID: 34715933 PMCID: PMC8555351 DOI: 10.1186/s40337-021-00494-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anorexia nervosa (AN) is characterized by dysfunctional cognitions including cognitive biases at various levels of information processing. However, less is known about the specificity of these biases, i.e., if they occur for eating-disorder-related information alone or also for non-eating-disorder-related emotional information in AN patients (content-specificity) and if they are unique to individuals with AN or are also shown by individuals with other mental disorders (disorder-specificity). METHODS The present study systematically assesses cognitive biases in 12-18-year-old female adolescents with AN on three levels of information processing (attention, interpretation, and memory) and with regard to two types of information content (eating-disorder-related, i.e., stimuli related to body weight and shape, and non-eating-disorder-related). To address not only content- but also disorder-specificity, adolescents with AN will be compared not only to a healthy control group but also to a clinical control group (adolescents with major depression or particular anxiety disorders). Cognitive biases are assessed within a single experimental paradigm based on the Scrambled Sentences Task. During the task eye movements are recorded in order to assess attention biases while interpretation biases are derived from the behavioural outcome. An incidental free recall test afterwards assesses memory biases. We expect adolescents with AN to show more pronounced negative cognitive biases on all three levels of information processing and for both types of content compared to healthy adolescents. In addition, we expect the specificity of biases to translate into differential results for the two types of content: AN patients are expected to show stronger biases for disorder-related stimuli but similar or less pronounced biases for non-disorder-related stimuli compared to the clinical control group. DISCUSSION This is the first study to comprehensively assess cognitive biases in adolescents with AN. It will have essential implications not only for cognitive-behavioural models of AN but also for subsequent studies aiming to modify cognitive biases in this population, thereby addressing important maintaining factors already at an early stage of the disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anca Sfärlea
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Pettenkoferstr. 8a, 80336, Munich, Germany.
| | - Linda Lukas
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Pettenkoferstr. 8a, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Gerd Schulte-Körne
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Pettenkoferstr. 8a, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Belinda Platt
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Pettenkoferstr. 8a, 80336, Munich, Germany
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10
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The Sexual OBjectification and EMotion database: A free stimulus set and norming data of sexually objectified and non-objectified female targets expressing multiple emotions. Behav Res Methods 2021; 54:541-555. [PMID: 34291433 PMCID: PMC9046321 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-021-01640-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Sexual objectification - perceiving or treating a woman as a sexual object - is a widespread phenomenon. Studies on sexual objectification and its consequences have grown dramatically over the last decades covering multiple and diverse areas of research. However, research studying sexual objectification might have limited internal and external validity due to the lack of a controlled and standardized picture database. Moreover, there is a need to extend this research to other fields including the study of emotions. Therefore, in this paper we introduce the SOBEM Database, a free tool consisting of 280 high-resolution pictures depicting objectified and non-objectified female models expressing a neutral face and three different emotions (happiness, anger, and sadness) with different intensity. We report the validation of this dataset by analyzing results of 134 participants judging pictures on the six basic emotions and on a range of social judgments related to sexual objectification. Results showed how the SOBEM can constitute an appropriate instrument to study both sexual objectification per se and its relation with emotions. This database could therefore become an important instrument able to improve the experimental control in future studies on sexual objectification and to create new links with different fields of research.
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11
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Kerr-Gaffney J, Mason L, Jones E, Hayward H, Ahmad J, Harrison A, Loth E, Murphy D, Tchanturia K. Emotion Recognition Abilities in Adults with Anorexia Nervosa are Associated with Autistic Traits. J Clin Med 2020; 9:E1057. [PMID: 32276387 PMCID: PMC7230901 DOI: 10.3390/jcm9041057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Revised: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Difficulties in socio-emotional functioning are proposed to contribute to the development and maintenance of anorexia nervosa (AN). This study aimed to examine emotion recognition abilities in individuals in the acute and recovered stages of AN compared to healthy controls (HCs). A second aim was to examine whether attention to faces and comorbid psychopathology predicted emotion recognition abilities. The films expressions task was administered to 148 participants (46 AN, 51 recovered AN, 51 HC) to assess emotion recognition, during which attention to faces was recorded using eye-tracking. Comorbid psychopathology was assessed using self-report questionnaires and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-2nd edition (ADOS-2). No significant differences in emotion recognition abilities or attention to faces were found between groups. However, individuals with a lifetime history of AN who scored above the clinical cut-off on the ADOS-2 displayed poorer emotion recognition performance than those scoring below cut-off and HCs. ADOS-2 scores significantly predicted emotion recognition abilities while controlling for group membership and intelligence. Difficulties in emotion recognition appear to be associated with high autism spectrum disorder (ASD) traits, rather than a feature of AN. Whether individuals with AN and high ASD traits may require different treatment strategies or adaptations is a question for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jess Kerr-Gaffney
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London SE5 8AB, UK;
| | - Luke Mason
- Centre for Brain & Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London WC1E 7JL, UK
| | - Emily Jones
- Centre for Brain & Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London WC1E 7JL, UK
| | - Hannah Hayward
- Department of Forensic & Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London SE5 8AB, UK
| | - Jumana Ahmad
- School of Human Sciences, University of Greenwich, London SE10 9LS, UK
| | - Amy Harrison
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, University College London, London WC1H 0AA, UK
- South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, National Eating Disorders Service, Psychological Medicine Clinical Academic Group, London SE5 8AZ, UK
| | - Eva Loth
- Department of Forensic & Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London SE5 8AB, UK
| | - Declan Murphy
- Department of Forensic & Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London SE5 8AB, UK
| | - Kate Tchanturia
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London SE5 8AB, UK;
- South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, National Eating Disorders Service, Psychological Medicine Clinical Academic Group, London SE5 8AZ, UK
- Department of Psychology, Ilia State University, Tbilisi 0162, Georgia
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12
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Dinkler L, Rydberg Dobrescu S, Råstam M, Gillberg IC, Gillberg C, Wentz E, Hadjikhani N. Visual scanning during emotion recognition in long-term recovered anorexia nervosa: An eye-tracking study. Int J Eat Disord 2019; 52:691-700. [PMID: 30828832 DOI: 10.1002/eat.23066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Revised: 02/15/2019] [Accepted: 02/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine Facial Emotion Recognition (FER) and visual scanning behavior (eye-tracking) during FER in women long-term recovered from teenage-onset anorexia nervosa (recAN) with and without autism spectrum disorder (±ASD) and age-matched comparison women (COMP), using a sensitive design with facial emotion expressions at varying intensities in order to approximate real social contexts. METHOD Fifty-seven 38-47-year-old women (26 recAN of whom six with ASD, 31 COMP) participated in the study. They completed a non-verbal FER task, consisting of matching basic emotions at different levels of expression intensity with full emotional expressions. Accuracy, response time and visual scanning behavior were measured. RESULTS There were no differences between recAN-ASD and COMP in FER accuracy and visual scanning behavior during FER, including eye viewing and hyperscanning. In an exploratory analysis, recAN+ASD were more accurate than recAN-ASD in identifying expressions at low intensity, but not at medium or high expression intensity. Accuracy was not associated with the extent of attention to the eye region. DISCUSSION Our data indicate that women long-term recovered from adolescent-onset AN do not have deficits in basic FER ability and visual scanning behavior during FER. However, the presence of comorbid ASD might affect face processing in recovered AN. Future studies investigating basic FER in acute and recovered AN and other conditions need to ensure that the stimuli used are sensitive enough to detect potential deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Dinkler
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Sandra Rydberg Dobrescu
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Maria Råstam
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - I Carina Gillberg
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Christopher Gillberg
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Elisabet Wentz
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Nouchine Hadjikhani
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts
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13
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Kerr-Gaffney J, Harrison A, Tchanturia K. Cognitive and Affective Empathy in Eating Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:102. [PMID: 30886590 PMCID: PMC6410675 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Recent models of eating disorders (EDs) have proposed social and emotional difficulties as key factors in the development and maintenance of the illness. While a number of studies have demonstrated difficulties in theory of mind and emotion recognition, little is known about empathic abilities in those with EDs. Further, few studies have examined the cognitive-affective empathy profile in EDs. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to provide a synthesis of empathy studies in EDs, and examine whether those with EDs differ from healthy controls (HC) on self-reported total, cognitive, and affective empathy. Methods: Electronic databases were systematically searched for studies using self-report measures of empathy in ED populations. In total, 17 studies were identified, 14 of which could be included in the total empathy meta-analysis. Eight of the 14 studies were included in the cognitive and affective empathy meta-analyses. Results: Meta-analyses showed that while total empathy and affective empathy scores did not differ between those with anorexia nervosa (AN) and HC, those with AN had significantly lower cognitive empathy scores compared to HCs (small effect size). Meta-analyses of Interpersonal Reactivity Index sub-scores revealed that AN had significantly lower Fantasy scores than HC (small effect size), indicating that those with AN have more difficulty in identifying themselves with fictional characters. Only 3 studies examined empathy in those with bulimia nervosa (BN) or binge eating disorder (BED). Conclusions: The lowered cognitive empathy and intact affective empathy profile found in AN is similar to that found in other psychiatric and neurodevelopmental conditions, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These findings add to the literature characterizing the socio-emotional phenotype in EDs. Future research should examine the influence of comorbid psychopathology on empathy in EDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jess Kerr-Gaffney
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Amy Harrison
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, University College London, London, United Kingdom.,Psychological Medicine Clinical Academic Group, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, National Eating Disorders Service, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kate Tchanturia
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.,Psychological Medicine Clinical Academic Group, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, National Eating Disorders Service, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Psychology, Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia
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14
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Kerr-Gaffney J, Harrison A, Tchanturia K. Eye-tracking research in eating disorders: A systematic review. Int J Eat Disord 2018; 52:3-27. [PMID: 30582199 DOI: 10.1002/eat.22998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Revised: 10/18/2018] [Accepted: 11/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Those with eating disorders (EDs) show attentional biases to disorder-relevant stimuli, such as food and body shape information. However, attentional bias research in EDs largely relies on reaction time based measures, which are limited in their ability to assess different components and the time course of attention. Eye-tracking paradigms have therefore been utilized to provide greater ecological validity, and directly capture the detailed sequence of processes in perception and attention. While numerous studies have examined eye movements in the mood, anxiety, and psychotic disorders, there has been a lack of studies in EDs. The purpose of this qualitative review is to provide a summary of eye-tracking studies in clinical ED populations. METHOD The review was conducted using the PRISMA guidelines. Electronic databases were systematically searched to identify studies examining gaze parameters in ED compared to healthy controls (HCs). Thirty-one studies met inclusion criteria. RESULTS Across ED diagnoses, there was evidence of attentional biases towards food and body stimuli. In addition, differential patterns of attention to social information, and differences in smooth pursuit and saccadic eye movements were found in anorexia nervosa (AN). DISCUSSION Findings are discussed in relation to research in other psychiatric disorders, and recommendations for future studies using eye-tracking in EDs are given. The findings add to the wider literature on attentional biases in EDs, and provide potential avenues for treatment. IJED-18-0331.R1. Investigación de seguimiento ocular en trastornos de la conducta alimentaria: una revisión sistemática.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jess Kerr-Gaffney
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, Kings College London, London, UK
| | - Amy Harrison
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, University College London, London, UK
- South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, National Eating Disorders Service, Psychological Medicine Clinical Academic Group, London, UK
| | - Kate Tchanturia
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, Kings College London, London, UK
- South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, National Eating Disorders Service, Psychological Medicine Clinical Academic Group, London, UK
- Institute of Psychology, Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia
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15
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Dapelo MM, Surguladze S, Morris R, Tchanturia K. Emotion Recognition in Face and Body Motion in Bulimia Nervosa. EUROPEAN EATING DISORDERS REVIEW 2017; 25:595-600. [DOI: 10.1002/erv.2554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2017] [Revised: 08/13/2017] [Accepted: 08/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Robin Morris
- Department of Psychology, IoPPN; King's College London (KCL); UK
| | - Kate Tchanturia
- Psychological Medicine, IoPPN; King's College London (KCL); UK
- Ilia State University Tbilisi; Georgia
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16
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Sperling I, Baldofski S, Lüthold P, Hilbert A. Cognitive Food Processing in Binge-Eating Disorder: An Eye-Tracking Study. Nutrients 2017; 9:nu9080903. [PMID: 28825607 PMCID: PMC5579696 DOI: 10.3390/nu9080903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2017] [Revised: 08/10/2017] [Accepted: 08/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies indicate an attentional bias towards food in binge-eating disorder (BED); however, more evidence on attentional engagement and disengagement and processing of multiple attention-competing stimuli is needed. This study aimed to examine visual attention to food and non-food stimuli in BED. In n = 23 participants with full-syndrome and subsyndromal BED and n = 23 individually matched healthy controls, eye-tracking was used to assess attention to food and non-food stimuli during a free exploration paradigm and a visual search task. In the free exploration paradigm, groups did not differ in their initial fixation position. While both groups fixated non-food stimuli significantly longer than food stimuli, the BED group allocated significantly more attention towards food than controls. In the visual search task, groups did not differ in detection times. However, a significant detection bias for food was found in full-syndrome BED, but not in controls. An increased initial attention towards food was related to greater BED symptomatology and lower body mass index (BMI) only in full-syndrome BED, while a greater maintained attention to food was associated with lower BMI in controls. The results suggest food-biased visual attentional processing in adults with BED. Further studies should clarify the implications of attentional processes for the etiology and maintenance of BED.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingmar Sperling
- Integrated Research and Treatment Center AdiposityDiseases, Leipzig University Medical Center, Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Leipzig 04103, Germany.
| | - Sabrina Baldofski
- Integrated Research and Treatment Center AdiposityDiseases, Leipzig University Medical Center, Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Leipzig 04103, Germany.
| | - Patrick Lüthold
- Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg 1700, Switzerland.
| | - Anja Hilbert
- Integrated Research and Treatment Center AdiposityDiseases, Leipzig University Medical Center, Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Leipzig 04103, Germany.
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