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Hsu CT, Sato W, Yoshikawa S. An investigation of the modulatory effects of empathic and autistic traits on emotional and facial motor responses during live social interactions. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0290765. [PMID: 38194416 PMCID: PMC10775989 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0290765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
A close relationship between emotional contagion and spontaneous facial mimicry has been theoretically proposed and is supported by empirical data. Facial expressions are essential in terms of both emotional and motor synchrony. Previous studies have demonstrated that trait emotional empathy enhanced spontaneous facial mimicry, but the relationship between autistic traits and spontaneous mimicry remained controversial. Moreover, previous studies presented faces that were static or videotaped, which may lack the "liveliness" of real-life social interactions. We addressed this limitation by using an image relay system to present live performances and pre-recorded videos of smiling or frowning dynamic facial expressions to 94 healthy female participants. We assessed their subjective experiential valence and arousal ratings to infer the amplitude of emotional contagion. We measured the electromyographic activities of the zygomaticus major and corrugator supercilii muscles to estimate spontaneous facial mimicry. Individual differences measures included trait emotional empathy (empathic concern) and the autism-spectrum quotient. We did not find that live performances enhanced the modulatory effect of trait differences on emotional contagion or spontaneous facial mimicry. However, we found that a high trait empathic concern was associated with stronger emotional contagion and corrugator mimicry. We found no two-way interaction between the autism spectrum quotient and emotional condition, suggesting that autistic traits did not modulate emotional contagion or spontaneous facial mimicry. Our findings imply that previous findings regarding the relationship between emotional empathy and emotional contagion/spontaneous facial mimicry using videos and photos could be generalized to real-life interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Ting Hsu
- Psychological Process Research Team, Guardian Robot Project, RIKEN, Soraku-gun, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Wataru Sato
- Psychological Process Research Team, Guardian Robot Project, RIKEN, Soraku-gun, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Sakiko Yoshikawa
- Institute of Philosophy and Human Values, Kyoto University of the Arts, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
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2
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Hsu CT, Sato W. Electromyographic Validation of Spontaneous Facial Mimicry Detection Using Automated Facial Action Coding. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 23:9076. [PMID: 38005462 PMCID: PMC10675524 DOI: 10.3390/s23229076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
Although electromyography (EMG) remains the standard, researchers have begun using automated facial action coding system (FACS) software to evaluate spontaneous facial mimicry despite the lack of evidence of its validity. Using the facial EMG of the zygomaticus major (ZM) as a standard, we confirmed the detection of spontaneous facial mimicry in action unit 12 (AU12, lip corner puller) via an automated FACS. Participants were alternately presented with real-time model performance and prerecorded videos of dynamic facial expressions, while simultaneous ZM signal and frontal facial videos were acquired. Facial videos were estimated for AU12 using FaceReader, Py-Feat, and OpenFace. The automated FACS is less sensitive and less accurate than facial EMG, but AU12 mimicking responses were significantly correlated with ZM responses. All three software programs detected enhanced facial mimicry by live performances. The AU12 time series showed a roughly 100 to 300 ms latency relative to the ZM. Our results suggested that while the automated FACS could not replace facial EMG in mimicry detection, it could serve a purpose for large effect sizes. Researchers should be cautious with the automated FACS outputs, especially when studying clinical populations. In addition, developers should consider the EMG validation of AU estimation as a benchmark.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Ting Hsu
- Psychological Process Research Team, Guardian Robot Project, RIKEN, Soraku-gun, Kyoto 619-0288, Japan
| | - Wataru Sato
- Psychological Process Research Team, Guardian Robot Project, RIKEN, Soraku-gun, Kyoto 619-0288, Japan
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Turan B, Algedik Demirayak P, Yildirim Demirdogen E, Gulsen M, Cubukcu HC, Guler M, Alarslan H, Yilmaz AE, Dursun OB. Toward the detection of reduced emotion expression intensity: an autism sibling study. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2023:1-11. [PMID: 37318219 DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2023.2225234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Expressing emotions through spontaneous facial expression is an important nonverbal social communication skill. In our study, we aimed to demonstrate that both children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and the non-ASD siblings of children with ASD have deficits in this skill. METHOD In this study, we analyzed the six core facial emotion expressions of three distinct groups of children - those diagnosed with ASD (n = 60), non-ASD siblings (n = 60), and typically developed children (n = 60). To analyze facial expressions, we employed a computer vision program that uses machine learning algorithms to detect facial features and conducted an evidence-based task that involved assessing participants' ability to recognize facial emotion expressions. RESULTS Deficits in spontaneous emotion expression were shown in the children with ASD and in non-ASD siblings when compared with typically developed children. Interestingly, it was determined that these deficits were not related to the severity of the autism symptoms in the ASD group. CONCLUSIONS The results of the study suggest that computer-based automated analysis of facial expressions with contextual social scenes task holds potential for measuring limitations in the ability to express emotions, and they supplement the traditional clinical assessment of social phenotypical behavior deficits. This applies both to children with ASD and especially, to the non-ASD siblings of children with ASD. This study adds a novel approach to previous literature examining the emotion expression skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bahadir Turan
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey
- Graduate School of Applied Science Interdisciplinary Artificial Intelligence Technology, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Pinar Algedik Demirayak
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Umraniye Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Esen Yildirim Demirdogen
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Ataturk University, Erzurum, Turkey
| | - Murat Gulsen
- Graduate School of Applied Science Interdisciplinary Artificial Intelligence Technology, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
- General Directorate of Health Services, Autism, Mental Special Needs and Rare Diseases Department, Turkish Ministry of Health, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Hikmet Can Cubukcu
- General Directorate of Health Services, Autism, Mental Special Needs and Rare Diseases Department, Turkish Ministry of Health, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Muhammed Guler
- Department of Dıstance Educatıon and Applıcatıon Research Center, Ataturk University, Erzurum, Turkey
| | - Hatice Alarslan
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Ataturk University, Erzurum, Turkey
| | - Asım Egemen Yilmaz
- Graduate School of Applied Science Interdisciplinary Artificial Intelligence Technology, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Onur Burak Dursun
- General Directorate of Health Services, Autism, Mental Special Needs and Rare Diseases Department, Turkish Ministry of Health, Ankara, Turkey
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Folz J, Akdağ R, Nikolić M, van Steenbergen H, Kret ME. Facial mimicry and metacognitive judgments in emotion recognition are distinctly modulated by social anxiety and autistic traits. Sci Rep 2023; 13:9730. [PMID: 37322077 PMCID: PMC10272184 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-35773-6] [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: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Facial mimicry as well as the accurate assessment of one's performance when judging others' emotional expressions have been suggested to inform successful emotion recognition. Differences in the integration of these two information sources might explain alterations in the perception of others' emotions in individuals with Social Anxiety Disorder and individuals on the autism spectrum. Using a non-clinical sample (N = 57), we examined the role of social anxiety and autistic traits in the link between facial mimicry, or confidence in one's performance, and emotion recognition. While participants were presented with videos of spontaneous emotional facial expressions, we measured their facial muscle activity, asked them to label the expressions and indicate their confidence in accurately labelling the expressions. Our results showed that confidence in emotion recognition was lower with higher social anxiety traits even though actual recognition was not related to social anxiety traits. Higher autistic traits, in contrast, were associated with worse recognition, and a weakened link between facial mimicry and performance. Consequently, high social anxiety traits might not affect emotion recognition itself, but the top-down evaluation of own abilities in emotion recognition contexts. High autistic traits, in contrast, may be related to lower integration of sensorimotor simulations, which promote emotion recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Folz
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Rüya Akdağ
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Milica Nikolić
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Henk van Steenbergen
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Mariska E Kret
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Emergent and planned interpersonal synchronization are both sensitive to 'tempo aftereffect contagion'. Neuropsychologia 2023; 181:108492. [PMID: 36736856 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Interpersonal synchronization is fundamental for motor coordination during social interactions. Discerning emergent (entrainment) from planned synchronization represents a non-trivial issue in visually bonded individuals acting together, as well as assessing whether inter-individual differences, e.g., in autistic traits, modulate both types of synchronization. In a visuomotor finger-tapping task, two participants replicated a target tempo either synchronizing ('joint' condition) or not ('non-interactive' condition, 'non-int') with each other. One participant was exposed ('induced') to tempo aftereffect (a medium tempo seems faster or slower after exposure to slower or faster inducing tempi), but not the other participant ('not induced'); thus they had different timing perceptions of the same target. We assessed to what degree emergent and/or planned synchronization affected dyads by analyzing inter-tap-intervals, synchronization indexes, and cross-correlation coefficients. Results revealed a 'tempo aftereffect contagion': inter-tap-intervals of both induced and not-induced participants showed aftereffect in both the joint and non-int conditions. Moreover, aftereffects did not correlate across conditions suggesting they might be due to (at least in part) different processes, but the propensity for tempo aftereffect contagion correlated with individuals' autistic traits only in the non-int condition. Finally, participants co-adjusted their tapping more in the joint condition than in the non-int one, as confirmed by higher synchronization indexes and the mutual adaptation pattern of cross-correlation coefficients. Altogether, these results show the subtle interplay between emergent and planned interpersonal synchronization mechanisms that act on a millisecond timescale independently from synching or not with the partner.
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Xue H, Zhang L, Wang J, Liu W, Liu S, Ming D. Dynamic eye avoidance patterns in the high autistic traits group: An eye-tracking study. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1086282. [PMID: 37032943 PMCID: PMC10079916 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1086282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Reduced fixation to the eye area is the main characteristic of social deficits associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder; a similar pattern may exist in individuals with high autistic traits. However, their scanning patterns to the eye area of emotional faces are still unclear on the time scale. Methods In the present study, we recruited 46 participants and divided them into the high autistic traits (HAT) group (23 participants) and the low autistic traits (LAT) group (20 participants) based on their Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) scores. Moreover, we captured their eye movement patterns when observing different angular emotional faces. We extracted the proportional fixation time to the eye area under different time windows. Results The results showed that the fixation time of the HAT group was always significantly smaller than that of the LAT group (p < 0.05), and the difference between the two groups increased in the middle and late stages of face presentation. The results of the linear regression analysis showed that the proportional fixation time was negatively correlated with AQ scores (p < 0.05), indicating that the proportional fixation time to the eye area could be a potential indicator to measure the level of autistic traits. We then calculated the latency to orient the eye area and the latency to disengage the eye area to explore the priority of observation of the eyes. The results showed that compared with the LAT group, the HAT group has a longer latency to orient the eye area (p < 0.05) and has longer latency to disengage the eye area (p < 0.05), illustrating that the HAT group saw the eyes more slowly and left them faster.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiqin Xue
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Ludan Zhang
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Junling Wang
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Wei Liu
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Children’s Hospital, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- *Correspondence: Wei Liu,
| | - Shuang Liu
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Shuang Liu,
| | - Dong Ming
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
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Erwin SR, Liu PJ, Datta N, Nicholas J, Rivera-Cancel A, Leary M, Chartrand TL, Zucker NL. Experiences of mimicry in eating disorders. J Eat Disord 2022; 10:103. [PMID: 35841035 PMCID: PMC9288029 DOI: 10.1186/s40337-022-00607-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND People unknowingly mimic the behaviors of others, a process that results in feelings of affiliation. However, some individuals with eating disorders describe feeling "triggered" when mimicked. This study explores the effects of implicit non-verbal mimicry on individuals with a history of an eating disorder (ED-His) compared to healthy controls (HCs). METHOD Women (N = 118, nED-His = 31; Mage = 21 years) participated in a laboratory task with a confederate trained to either discreetly mimic (Mimicry condition) or not mimic (No-Mimicry condition) the mannerisms of the participant. Participants rated the likability of the confederate and the smoothness of the interaction. RESULTS Participants in the No-Mimicry condition rated the confederate as significantly more likable than in the Mimicry condition, and ED-His rated the confederate as more likable than HCs. ED-His in the Mimicry condition rated the interaction as less smooth than HCs, whereas this pattern was not found in the No-Mimicry condition. Among ED-His, longer disorder duration (≥ 3.87 years) was associated with less liking of a confederate who mimicked and more liking of a confederate who did not mimic. CONCLUSIONS We discuss the implications of these findings for interpersonal therapeutic processes and group treatment settings for eating disorders. Our study on subtle, nonverbal mimicry revealed differences in social behavior for women with a history of an eating disorder compared to healthy women. For participants with an eating disorder history, a longer duration of illness was associated with a worse pattern of affiliation, reflected in lower liking of a mimicker. Further research on how diverging processes of affiliation may function to perpetuate the chronicity of eating disorders and implications for treatment is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Savannah R Erwin
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, 417 Chapel Drive, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.
| | - Peggy J Liu
- Fuqua School of Business, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.,Katz Graduate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Nandini Datta
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, 417 Chapel Drive, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Julia Nicholas
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.,Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Alannah Rivera-Cancel
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, 417 Chapel Drive, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Mark Leary
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, 417 Chapel Drive, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | | | - Nancy L Zucker
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, 417 Chapel Drive, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
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8
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Folz J, Fiacchino D, Nikolić M, van Steenbergen H, Kret ME. Reading Your Emotions in My Physiology? Reliable Emotion Interpretations in Absence of a Robust Physiological Resonance. AFFECTIVE SCIENCE 2022; 3:480-497. [PMID: 35282156 PMCID: PMC8901434 DOI: 10.1007/s42761-021-00083-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Affective states are expressed in an individual’s physical appearance, ranging from facial expressions and body postures, to indicators of physiological arousal (e.g., a blush). Confirming the claimed communicative function of these markers, humans are capable of distinguishing between a variety of discrete emotion displays. In an attempt to explain the underlying mechanism, characteristic bodily changes within the observer, including physiological arousal and mimicry, have been suggested to facilitate the interpretation of an expression. The current study aims to create a holistic picture of emotion perception by (1) using three different sources of emotional information (prototypical facial expressions, bodily expressions, and subtle facial cues) and (2) measuring changes in multiple physiological signals (facial electromyography, skin conductance level, skin temperature, and pupil size). While participants clearly discriminated between perceived emotional expressions, there was no overall 1–1 correspondence with their physiological responses. Some specific but robust effects were observed. Angry facial expressions were consistently responded to with a peak in skin conductance level. Furthermore, sad body expressions were associated with a drop in skin temperature. In addition to being the best recognized expression, viewing happy faces elicited congruent facial muscle responses, which supports the potential role of embodied simulation in emotion recognition. Lastly, tears were not only rated as highly emotional intense but also evoked a peak in skin conductance level in the observer. The absence of distinct physiological responses to other expressions could be explained by the lacking functionality of affect sharing in a non-interactive experimental context. Consequentially, emotional alignment in body and mind might especially take place in real social situations, which should be considered in future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Folz
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, 2333 AK The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, 2300 RC The Netherlands
| | - Donatella Fiacchino
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, 2333 AK The Netherlands
| | - Milica Nikolić
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, 2333 AK The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, 2300 RC The Netherlands
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1018 WS The Netherlands
| | - Henk van Steenbergen
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, 2333 AK The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, 2300 RC The Netherlands
| | - Mariska E. Kret
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, 2333 AK The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, 2300 RC The Netherlands
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Nagai M, Honma M, Kumada T, Osada Y. Spontaneous Interpersonal Coordination in Stepping and Autistic‐Like Traits. JAPANESE PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/jpr.12400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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10
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People that score high on psychopathic traits are less likely to yawn contagiously. Sci Rep 2021; 11:23779. [PMID: 34893649 PMCID: PMC8664845 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-03159-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Considerable variation exists in the contagiousness of yawning, and numerous studies have been conducted to investigate the proximate mechanisms involved in this response. Yet, findings within the psychological literature are mixed, with many studies conducted on relatively small and homogeneous samples. Here, we aimed to replicate and extend upon research suggesting a negative relationship between psychopathic traits and yawn contagion in community samples. In the largest study of contagious yawning to date (N = 458), which included both university students and community members from across 50 nationalities, participants completed an online study in which they self-reported on their yawn contagion to a video stimulus and completed four measures of psychopathy: the primary and secondary psychopathy scales from the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (LSRPS), the psychopathy construct from the Dirty Dozen, and the Psychopathic Personality Traits Scale (PPTS). Results support previous findings in that participants that yawned contagiously tended to score lower on the combined and primary measures of psychopathy. That said, tiredness was the strongest predictor across all models. These findings align with functional accounts of spontaneous and contagious yawning and a generalized impairment in overall patterns of behavioral contagion and biobehavioral synchrony among people high in psychopathic traits.
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11
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Chen YC, Chen C, Martínez RM, Fan YT, Liu CC, Chen CY, Cheng Y. An amygdala-centered hyper-connectivity signature of threatening face processing predicts anxiety in youths with autism spectrum conditions. Autism Res 2021; 14:2287-2299. [PMID: 34423915 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Revised: 07/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Anxiety is exceedingly prevalent among individuals with an autism spectrum condition (ASC). While recent literature postulates anxiety as a mechanism encompassing an underlying amygdala-related elevated baseline level of arousal even to nonthreatening cues, whether this same mechanism contributes to anxiety in those with an ASC and supports the transdiagnostic nature of anxiety remains elusive. In this case-control study of 51 youths (26 ASC), we assessed autism and anxiety via the Autism-Spectrum Quotient and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, respectively. Hemodynamic responses, including amygdala reactivity, to explicit and implicit (backwardly masked) perception of threatening faces were acquired using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). For explicit fear, ASC individuals showed significantly greater negative correlations between the amygdala and the attentional deployment-parietal network. For implicit fear, ASC individuals showed significantly stronger correlations of the amygdala with the prefrontal networks, temporal pole, and hippocampus. Additionally, an fMRI-based neurologic signature for anxiety in ASCs was identified via the LibSVM machine learning model using amygdala-centered functional connectivity during the emotional processing of explicit and implicit stimuli. Hypervigilance to implicit threat in ASCs comorbid with anxiety might exacerbate explicit threat reactivity; hence the use of attentional avoidance patterns to restrict affective hyperarousal for explicitly perceived socioemotional stimuli. Consequently, developing an attention-independent behavioral/neural marker identifying anxiety in ASCs is highly warranted. LAY SUMMARY: This study identifies a dissociation of amygdala reactivity dependent on explicit and implicit threat processing. Implicit anxiety in individuals with an autism spectrum condition (ASC) could outweigh explicitly induced threat. When explicitly perceiving socioemotional stimuli, ASC individuals with anxiety might use attentional avoidance patterns to restrict affective hyperarousal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Chun Chen
- Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Hospital, Yilan, Taiwan.,Department of Physical Education, National Taiwan University of Sport, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Chenyi Chen
- Graduate Institute of Injury Prevention and Control, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Brain and Consciousness Research Center, Shuang-Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Mind, Brain and Consciousness, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Psychiatric Research Center, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Róger Marcelo Martínez
- Graduate Institute of Injury Prevention and Control, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.,School of Psychological Sciences, National Autonomous University of Honduras, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
| | - Yang-Tang Fan
- Graduate Institute of Medicine, Yuan Ze University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Chien Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.,Institute of Neuroscience and Brain Research Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chin-Yau Chen
- Department of Surgery, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Hospital, Yilan, Taiwan
| | - Yawei Cheng
- Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Hospital, Yilan, Taiwan.,Institute of Neuroscience and Brain Research Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Education and Research, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
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12
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Drimalla H, Baskow I, Behnia B, Roepke S, Dziobek I. Imitation and recognition of facial emotions in autism: a computer vision approach. Mol Autism 2021; 12:27. [PMID: 33823922 PMCID: PMC8025560 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-021-00430-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Imitation of facial expressions plays an important role in social functioning. However, little is known about the quality of facial imitation in individuals with autism and its relationship with defining difficulties in emotion recognition. Methods We investigated imitation and recognition of facial expressions in 37 individuals with autism spectrum conditions and 43 neurotypical controls. Using a novel computer-based face analysis, we measured instructed imitation of facial emotional expressions and related it to emotion recognition abilities. Results Individuals with autism imitated facial expressions if instructed to do so, but their imitation was both slower and less precise than that of neurotypical individuals. In both groups, a more precise imitation scaled positively with participants’ accuracy of emotion recognition. Limitations Given the study’s focus on adults with autism without intellectual impairment, it is unclear whether the results generalize to children with autism or individuals with intellectual disability. Further, the new automated facial analysis, despite being less intrusive than electromyography, might be less sensitive. Conclusions Group differences in emotion recognition, imitation and their interrelationships highlight potential for treatment of social interaction problems in individuals with autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Drimalla
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10099, Berlin, Germany. .,Clinical Psychology of Social Interaction, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10099, Berlin, Germany. .,Digital Health Center, Hasso Plattner Institute, University of Potsdam, Am Neuen Palais 10, 14469, Potsdam, Germany. .,Multimodal Behavior Processing, Faculty of Technology, Bielefeld University, Inspiration 1, 33619, Bielefeld, Germany.
| | - Irina Baskow
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10099, Berlin, Germany.,Departement of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Deutschland
| | - Behnoush Behnia
- Departement of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Deutschland
| | - Stefan Roepke
- Departement of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Deutschland
| | - Isabel Dziobek
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10099, Berlin, Germany.,Clinical Psychology of Social Interaction, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10099, Berlin, Germany
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13
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Wessler J, Hansen J. Facial mimicry is independent of stimulus format: Evidence for facial mimicry of stick figures and photographs. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2021; 213:103249. [PMID: 33429061 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2020.103249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The present research investigated facial mimicry of the basic emotions joy, anger, and sadness in response to stimuli in different formats. Specifically, in an electromyography study, 120 participants rated the expressions of joyful, angry, and sad faces presented as photographs or stick figures while facial muscle activity was measured. Using both frequentist and Bayesian approaches to hypothesis testing, we found strong support for a facial mimicry effect: Participants showed higher zygomaticus major and orbicularis oculi activity (smiling) towards joyful faces, while they showed higher corrugator supercilii activity (frowning) towards angry and sad faces. Although participants rated the stick figures as more abstract and less interesting stimuli, the mimicry effect was equally strong and independent of the format in which the faces were presented (photographs or stick figures). Additionally, participants showed enhanced emotion recognition for stick figures compared to photographs, which, however, was unrelated to mimicry. The findings suggest that facial mimicry occurs in response to stimuli varying in their abstractness and might be more robust to social-cognitive influences than previously assumed.
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14
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Electromyographic evidence of reduced emotion mimicry in individuals with a history of non-suicidal self-injury. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0243860. [PMID: 33370320 PMCID: PMC7769269 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0243860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Engaging in facial emotion mimicry during social interactions encourages empathy and functions as a catalyst for interpersonal bonding. Decreased reflexive mirroring of facial expressions has been observed in individuals with different non-psychotic disorders, relative to healthy controls. Given reports of interpersonal relationship difficulties experienced by those who engage in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), it is of interest to explore facial emotion mimicry in individuals with a history of this behaviour (HNSSI). Among other things, this will enable us to better understand their emotion regulation and social interaction challenges. Surface facial electromyography (fEMG) was used to record the reflexive facial mimicry of 30 HNSSI and 30 controls while they passively observed a series of dynamic facial stimuli showing various facial expressions of emotion. Beginning with a neutral expression, the stimuli quickly morphed to one of 6 prototypic emotional expressions (anger, fear, surprise, disgust, happiness, or sadness). Mimicry was assessed by affixing surface electrodes to facial muscles known to exhibit a high degree of electrical activity in response to positive and negative emotions: the corrugator supercilii and the zygomaticus major. HNSSI participants, relative to controls, exhibited significantly less electrical activity in the corrugator muscle in response to viewing angry stimuli, and significantly less of an expected relaxation in muscle activity in response to viewing happy stimuli. Mirroring these results, greater endorsement of social influence as a motivator for engaging in NSSI was associated with less mimicry, and greater endorsement of emotion regulation as a motivator was associated with greater incongruent muscle response when viewing happy faces. These findings lend support to the theory that social interaction difficulties in HNSSI might be related to implicit violations of expected social rules exhibited through facial mimicry nonconformity.
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15
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Minio-Paluello I, Porciello G, Gandolfo M, Boukarras S, Aglioti SM. The enfacement illusion boosts facial mimicry. Cortex 2020; 123:113-123. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2019.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2019] [Revised: 08/19/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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16
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West MJ, Copland DA, Arnott WL, Nelson NL, Angwin AJ. Effects of Prosodic and Semantic Cues on Facial Emotion Recognition in Relation to Autism-Like Traits. J Autism Dev Disord 2019; 48:2611-2618. [PMID: 29492733 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-018-3522-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
The current study investigated whether those with higher levels of autism-like traits process emotional information from speech differently to those with lower levels of autism-like traits. Neurotypical adults completed the autism-spectrum quotient and an emotional priming task. Vocal primes with varied emotional prosody, semantics, or a combination, preceded emotional target faces. Prime-target pairs were congruent or incongruent in their emotional content. Overall, congruency effects were found for combined prosody-semantic primes, however no congruency effects were found for semantic or prosodic primes alone. Further, those with higher levels of autism-like traits were not influenced by the prime stimuli. These results suggest that failure to integrate emotional information across modalities may be characteristic of the broader autism phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melina J West
- School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4067, Brisbane, Australia. .,School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
| | - David A Copland
- School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4067, Brisbane, Australia.,University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, Brisbane, Australia
| | | | - Nicole L Nelson
- School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Anthony J Angwin
- School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4067, Brisbane, Australia
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17
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Drimalla H, Landwehr N, Hess U, Dziobek I. From face to face: the contribution of facial mimicry to cognitive and emotional empathy. Cogn Emot 2019; 33:1672-1686. [DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2019.1596068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Drimalla
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Social Cognition Group, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Berlin, Germany
- Digital Health Center, Hasso-Plattner-Institute, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Niels Landwehr
- Institute for Computer Science, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
- Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Ursula Hess
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Isabel Dziobek
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Social Cognition Group, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Berlin, Germany
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18
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Wynn CJ, Borrie SA, Sellers TP. Speech Rate Entrainment in Children and Adults With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY 2018; 27:965-974. [PMID: 29800942 PMCID: PMC6195024 DOI: 10.1044/2018_ajslp-17-0134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Accepted: 01/24/2018] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Conversational entrainment, a phenomenon whereby people modify their behaviors to match their communication partner, has been evidenced as critical to successful conversation. It is plausible that deficits in entrainment contribute to the conversational breakdowns and social difficulties exhibited by people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study examined speech rate entrainment in children and adult populations with and without ASD. METHOD Sixty participants including typically developing children, children with ASD, typically developed adults, and adults with ASD participated in a quasi-conversational paradigm with a pseudoconfederate. The confederate's speech rate was digitally manipulated to create slow and fast speech rate conditions. RESULTS Typically developed adults entrained their speech rate in the quasi-conversational paradigm, using a faster rate during the fast speech rate conditions and a slower rate during the slow speech rate conditions. This entrainment pattern was not evident in adults with ASD or in children populations. CONCLUSION Findings suggest that speech rate entrainment is a developmentally acquired skill and offers preliminary evidence of speech rate entrainment deficits in adults with ASD. Impairments in this area may contribute to the conversational breakdowns and social difficulties experienced by this population. Future work is needed to advance this area of inquiry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille J Wynn
- Department of Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education, Utah State University, Logan
| | - Stephanie A Borrie
- Department of Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education, Utah State University, Logan
| | - Tyra P Sellers
- Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation, Utah State University, Logan
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19
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Cattaneo L, Veroni V, Boria S, Tassinari G, Turella L. Sex Differences in Affective Facial Reactions Are Present in Childhood. Front Integr Neurosci 2018; 12:19. [PMID: 29875642 PMCID: PMC5974214 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2018.00019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Adults exposed to affective facial displays produce specific rapid facial reactions (RFRs) which are of lower intensity in males compared to females. We investigated such sex difference in a population of 60 primary school children (30 F; 30 M), aged 7–10 years. We recorded the surface electromyographic (EMG) signal from the corrugator supercilii and the zygomatici muscles, while children watched affective facial displays. Results showed the expected smiling RFR to smiling faces and the expected frowning RFR to sad faces. A systematic difference between male and female participants was observed, with boys showing less ample EMG responses than age-matched girls. We demonstrate that sex differences in the somatic component of affective motor patterns are present also in childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Cattaneo
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Biomedicina e Movimento, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Vania Veroni
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Sonia Boria
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Tassinari
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Biomedicina e Movimento, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Luca Turella
- Center for Mid/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
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20
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Is the Autism-Spectrum Quotient a Valid Measure of Traits Associated with the Autism Spectrum? A Rasch Validation in Adults with and Without Autism Spectrum Disorders. J Autism Dev Disord 2018; 47:2080-2091. [PMID: 28425021 PMCID: PMC5487751 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-017-3128-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
The Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) is among the most widely used scales assessing autistic traits in the general population. However, some aspects of the AQ are questionable. To test its scale properties, the AQ was translated into Swedish, and data were collected from 349 adults, 130 with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and 219 without ASD, and analysed with Rasch. Several scale properties of the AQ were satisfactory but it did not meet the criterion of a unidimensional measure of autistic traits. The Rasch analysis showed that the 50-item AQ could be reduced to a 12-item subset with little loss of explanatory power, with the potential to efficiently measure the degree to which adults with and without ASD show autistic traits.
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21
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Sato W, Sawada R, Uono S, Yoshimura S, Kochiyama T, Kubota Y, Sakihama M, Toichi M. Impaired detection of happy facial expressions in autism. Sci Rep 2017; 7:13340. [PMID: 29042592 PMCID: PMC5645383 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-11900-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2017] [Accepted: 08/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The detection of emotional facial expressions plays an indispensable role in social interaction. Psychological studies have shown that typically developing (TD) individuals more rapidly detect emotional expressions than neutral expressions. However, it remains unclear whether individuals with autistic phenotypes, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and high levels of autistic traits (ATs), are impaired in this ability. We examined this by comparing TD and ASD individuals in Experiment 1 and individuals with low and high ATs in Experiment 2 using the visual search paradigm. Participants detected normal facial expressions of anger and happiness and their anti-expressions within crowds of neutral expressions. In Experiment 1, reaction times were shorter for normal angry expressions than for anti-expressions in both TD and ASD groups. This was also the case for normal happy expressions vs. anti-expressions in the TD group but not in the ASD group. Similarly, in Experiment 2, the detection of normal vs. anti-expressions was faster for angry expressions in both groups and for happy expressions in the low, but not high, ATs group. These results suggest that the detection of happy facial expressions is impaired in individuals with ASD and high ATs, which may contribute to their difficulty in creating and maintaining affiliative social relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wataru Sato
- Department of Neurodevelopmental Psychiatry, Habilitation and Rehabilitation, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
| | - Reiko Sawada
- Department of Neurodevelopmental Psychiatry, Habilitation and Rehabilitation, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Shota Uono
- Department of Neurodevelopmental Psychiatry, Habilitation and Rehabilitation, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Sayaka Yoshimura
- Department of Neurodevelopmental Psychiatry, Habilitation and Rehabilitation, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takanori Kochiyama
- Brain Activity Imaging Center, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, Soraku, Japan
| | - Yasutaka Kubota
- Health and Medical Services Center, Shiga University, Hikone, Japan
| | | | - Motomi Toichi
- Faculty of Human Health Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.,The Organization for Promoting Neurodevelopmental Disorder Research, Kyoto, Japan
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22
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West MJ, Copland DA, Arnott WL, Nelson NL, Angwin AJ. Effects of emotional prosody on novel word learning in relation to autism-like traits. MOTIVATION AND EMOTION 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s11031-017-9642-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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23
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Autistic Traits Affect P300 Response to Unexpected Events, regardless of Mental State Inferences. AUTISM RESEARCH AND TREATMENT 2017; 2017:8195129. [PMID: 28660082 PMCID: PMC5474239 DOI: 10.1155/2017/8195129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2016] [Revised: 03/18/2017] [Accepted: 04/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Limited use of contextual information has been suggested as a way of understanding cognition in people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, it has also been argued that individuals with ASD may have difficulties inferring others' mental states. Here, we examined how individuals with different levels of autistic traits respond to contextual deviations by measuring event-related potentials that reflect context usage. The Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) was used to quantify autistic-like traits in 28 university students, and 19 participants were defined as Low or High AQ groups. To additionally examine inferences about mental state, two belief conditions (with or without false belief) were included. Participants read short stories in which the final sentence included either an expected or an unexpected word and rated the word's degree of deviation from expectation. P300 waveform analysis revealed that unexpected words were associated with larger P300 waveforms for the Low AQ group, but smaller P300 responses in the High AQ group. Additionally, AQ social skill subscores were positively correlated with evaluation times in the Unexpected condition, whether a character's belief was false or not. This suggests that autistic traits can affect responses to unexpected events, possibly because of decreased availability of context information.
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24
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Kraaijenvanger EJ, Hofman D, Bos PA. A neuroendocrine account of facial mimicry and its dynamic modulation. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 77:98-106. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2016] [Revised: 02/15/2017] [Accepted: 03/12/2017] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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25
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Psychometric Properties of the Autism-Spectrum Quotient for Assessing Low and High Levels of Autistic Traits in College Students. J Autism Dev Disord 2017; 47:1838-1853. [DOI: 10.1007/s10803-017-3109-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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26
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Nilsonne G, Tamm S, Golkar A, Sörman K, Howner K, Kristiansson M, Olsson A, Ingvar M, Petrovic P. Effects of 25 mg oxazepam on emotional mimicry and empathy for pain: a randomized controlled experiment. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2017. [PMID: 28405353 DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.1558201.v3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Emotional mimicry and empathy are mechanisms underlying social interaction. Benzodiazepines have been proposed to inhibit empathy and promote antisocial behaviour. First, we aimed to investigate the effects of oxazepam on emotional mimicry and empathy for pain, and second, we aimed to investigate the association of personality traits to emotional mimicry and empathy. Participants (n=76) were randomized to 25 mg oxazepam or placebo. Emotional mimicry was examined using video clips with emotional expressions. Empathy was investigated by pain stimulating the participant and a confederate. We recorded self-rated experience, activity in major zygomatic and superciliary corrugator muscles, skin conductance, and heart rate. In the mimicry experiment, oxazepam inhibited corrugator activity. In the empathy experiment, oxazepam caused increased self-rated unpleasantness and skin conductance. However, oxazepam specifically inhibited neither emotional mimicry nor empathy for pain. Responses in both experiments were associated with self-rated empathic, psychopathic and alexithymic traits. The present results do not support a specific effect of 25 mg oxazepam on emotional mimicry or empathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustav Nilsonne
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Stress Research Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sandra Tamm
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Stress Research Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Armita Golkar
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Karolina Sörman
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience , Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Katarina Howner
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience , Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Andreas Olsson
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience , Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Martin Ingvar
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Neuroradiology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm Sweden
| | - Predrag Petrovic
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience , Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm, Sweden
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27
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Nilsonne G, Tamm S, Golkar A, Sörman K, Howner K, Kristiansson M, Olsson A, Ingvar M, Petrovic P. Effects of 25 mg oxazepam on emotional mimicry and empathy for pain: a randomized controlled experiment. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2017; 4:160607. [PMID: 28405353 PMCID: PMC5383810 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2016] [Accepted: 02/10/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Emotional mimicry and empathy are mechanisms underlying social interaction. Benzodiazepines have been proposed to inhibit empathy and promote antisocial behaviour. First, we aimed to investigate the effects of oxazepam on emotional mimicry and empathy for pain, and second, we aimed to investigate the association of personality traits to emotional mimicry and empathy. Participants (n=76) were randomized to 25 mg oxazepam or placebo. Emotional mimicry was examined using video clips with emotional expressions. Empathy was investigated by pain stimulating the participant and a confederate. We recorded self-rated experience, activity in major zygomatic and superciliary corrugator muscles, skin conductance, and heart rate. In the mimicry experiment, oxazepam inhibited corrugator activity. In the empathy experiment, oxazepam caused increased self-rated unpleasantness and skin conductance. However, oxazepam specifically inhibited neither emotional mimicry nor empathy for pain. Responses in both experiments were associated with self-rated empathic, psychopathic and alexithymic traits. The present results do not support a specific effect of 25 mg oxazepam on emotional mimicry or empathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustav Nilsonne
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Stress Research Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sandra Tamm
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Stress Research Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Armita Golkar
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Karolina Sörman
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Katarina Howner
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Andreas Olsson
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Martin Ingvar
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Neuroradiology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm Sweden
| | - Predrag Petrovic
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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28
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Beggiato A, Peyre H, Maruani A, Scheid I, Rastam M, Amsellem F, Gillberg CI, Leboyer M, Bourgeron T, Gillberg C, Delorme R. Gender differences in autism spectrum disorders: Divergence among specific core symptoms. Autism Res 2016; 10:680-689. [DOI: 10.1002/aur.1715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2015] [Revised: 09/12/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anita Beggiato
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; Robert Debré Hospital, APHP; Paris France
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions; Institut Pasteur; Paris France
| | - Hugo Peyre
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; Robert Debré Hospital, APHP; Paris France
| | - Anna Maruani
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; Robert Debré Hospital, APHP; Paris France
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions; Institut Pasteur; Paris France
| | - Isabelle Scheid
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; Robert Debré Hospital, APHP; Paris France
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions; Institut Pasteur; Paris France
- Fondation FondaMental, French National Science Foundation
| | - Maria Rastam
- Department of Clinical Sciences; Lund University; Lund Sweden
| | - Frederique Amsellem
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; Robert Debré Hospital, APHP; Paris France
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions; Institut Pasteur; Paris France
| | | | - Marion Leboyer
- Fondation FondaMental, French National Science Foundation
- INSERM U955; Paris France
- Department of Adult Psychiatry; H Mondor & A Chenevier Hospitals, APHP; Paris France
| | - Thomas Bourgeron
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions; Institut Pasteur; Paris France
- University Denis Diderot Paris 7; Paris France
| | - Christopher Gillberg
- Gillberg neuropsychiatry Centre; Gothenburg University; Göteborg Sweden
- Institute of Child Health, University College London; London UK
| | - Richard Delorme
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; Robert Debré Hospital, APHP; Paris France
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions; Institut Pasteur; Paris France
- Fondation FondaMental, French National Science Foundation
- University Denis Diderot Paris 7; Paris France
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29
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Abstract
AbstractVariation in the quality of parental care has a tremendous impact on a child's social–emotional development. Research investigating the predictors of this variability in human caregiving behavior has mostly focused on learning mechanisms. Evidence is currently accumulating for the complementary underlying role of steroid hormones and neuropeptides. An overview is provided of the hormones and neuropeptides relevant for human caregiving behavior. Then the developmental factors are described that stimulate variability in sensitivity to these hormones and neuropeptides, which may result in variability in the behavioral repertoire of caregiving. The role of genetic variation in neuropeptide and steroid receptors, the role of testosterone and oxytocin during fetal development and parturition, and the impact of experienced caregiving in childhood on functioning of the neuroendocrine stress and oxytocin system are discussed. Besides providing a heuristic framework for further research on the ontogenetic development of human caregiving, a neuroendocrine model is also presented for the intergenerational transmission of caregiving practices. Insight into the underlying biological mechanisms that bring about maladaptive caregiving behavior, such as neglect and insensitive parenting, will hopefully result in more efficient approaches to reduce the high prevalence of such behavior and to minimize the impact on those affected.
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30
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Lewis MB, Dunn E. Instructions to mimic improve facial emotion recognition in people with sub-clinical autism traits. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2016; 70:2357-2370. [PMID: 27734764 DOI: 10.1080/17470218.2016.1238950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
People tend to mimic the facial expression of others. It has been suggested that this helps provide social glue between affiliated people but it could also aid recognition of emotions through embodied cognition. The degree of facial mimicry, however, varies between individuals and is limited in people with autism spectrum conditions (ASC). The present study sought to investigate the effect of promoting facial mimicry during a facial-emotion-recognition test. In two experiments, participants without an ASC diagnosis had their autism quotient (AQ) measured. Following a baseline test, they did an emotion-recognition test again but half of the participants were asked to mimic the target face they saw prior to making their responses. Mimicry improved emotion recognition, and further analysis revealed that the largest improvement was for participants who had higher scores on the autism traits. In fact, recognition performance was best overall for people who had high AQ scores but also received the instruction to mimic. Implications for people with ASC are explored.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Emily Dunn
- a School of Psychology , Cardiff University , Cardiff , UK
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31
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Male and Female Differences in Nonconscious Mimicry: A Systematic Review. JOURNAL OF EUROPEAN PSYCHOLOGY STUDENTS 2015. [DOI: 10.5334/jeps.de] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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Seibt B, Mühlberger A, Likowski KU, Weyers P. Facial mimicry in its social setting. Front Psychol 2015; 6:1122. [PMID: 26321970 PMCID: PMC4531238 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2014] [Accepted: 07/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In interpersonal encounters, individuals often exhibit changes in their own facial expressions in response to emotional expressions of another person. Such changes are often called facial mimicry. While this tendency first appeared to be an automatic tendency of the perceiver to show the same emotional expression as the sender, evidence is now accumulating that situation, person, and relationship jointly determine whether and for which emotions such congruent facial behavior is shown. We review the evidence regarding the moderating influence of such factors on facial mimicry with a focus on understanding the meaning of facial responses to emotional expressions in a particular constellation. From this, we derive recommendations for a research agenda with a stronger focus on the most common forms of encounters, actual interactions with known others, and on assessing potential mediators of facial mimicry. We conclude that facial mimicry is modulated by many factors: attention deployment and sensitivity, detection of valence, emotional feelings, and social motivations. We posit that these are the more proximal causes of changes in facial mimicry due to changes in its social setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beate Seibt
- Department of Psychology, University of OsloOslo, Norway
- Centro de Investigação e Intervenção Social, ISCTE - Instituto Universitário de LisboaLisboa, Portugal
| | - Andreas Mühlberger
- Department of Psychology, University of WürzburgWürzburg, Germany
- Department of Psychology, University of RegensburgRegensburg, Germany
| | | | - Peter Weyers
- Department of Psychology, University of WürzburgWürzburg, Germany
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Mathersul D, McDonald S, Rushby JA. Automatic facial responses to briefly presented emotional stimuli in autism spectrum disorder. Biol Psychol 2013; 94:397-407. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2013.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2012] [Revised: 08/19/2013] [Accepted: 08/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Gregory BL, Plaisted-Grant KC. The Autism-Spectrum Quotient and Visual Search: Shallow and Deep Autistic Endophenotypes. J Autism Dev Disord 2013; 46:1503-12. [DOI: 10.1007/s10803-013-1951-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Pileggi LA, Malcolm-Smith S, Hoogenhout M, Thomas KGF, Solms M. Cradling bias is absent in children with autism spectrum disorders. J Child Adolesc Ment Health 2013; 25:55-60. [DOI: 10.2989/17280583.2013.767262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Rozga A, King TZ, Vuduc RW, Robins DL. Undifferentiated facial electromyography responses to dynamic, audio-visual emotion displays in individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Dev Sci 2013; 16:499-514. [PMID: 23786469 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2011] [Accepted: 01/24/2013] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
We examined facial electromyography (fEMG) activity to dynamic, audio-visual emotional displays in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and typically developing (TD) individuals. Participants viewed clips of happy, angry, and fearful displays that contained both facial expression and affective prosody while surface electrodes measured corrugator supercilli and zygomaticus major facial muscle activity. Across measures of average and peak activity, the TD group demonstrated emotion-selective fEMG responding, with greater relative activation of the zygomatic to happy stimuli and greater relative activation of the corrugator to fearful stimuli. In contrast, the ASD group largely showed no significant differences between zygomatic and corrugator activity across these emotions. There were no group differences in the magnitude and timing of fEMG response in the muscle congruent to the stimuli. This evidence that fEMG responses in ASD are undifferentiated with respect to the valence of the stimulus is discussed in light of potential underlying neurobiological mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agata Rozga
- School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology, 85 Fifth Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30308, USA.
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Abstract
Emotional mimicry is the imitation of the emotional expressions of others. According to the classic view on emotional mimicry (the Matched Motor Hypothesis), people mimic the specific facial movements that comprise a discrete emotional expression. However, little evidence exists for the mimicry of discrete emotions; rather, the extant evidence supports only valence-based mimicry. We propose an alternative Emotion Mimicry in Context view according to which emotional mimicry is not based on mere perception but rather on the interpretation of signals as emotional intentions in a specific context. We present evidence for the idea that people mimic contextualized emotions rather than simply expressive muscle movements. Our model postulates that (implicit or explicit) contextual information is needed for emotional mimicry to take place. It takes into account the relationship between observer and expresser, and suggests that emotional mimicry depends on this relationship and functions as a social regulator.
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Mathersul D, McDonald S, Rushby JA. Psychophysiological correlates of social judgement in high-functioning adults with autism spectrum disorder. Int J Psychophysiol 2012. [PMID: 23183316 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2012.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Neural structures involved in social cognition (e.g., amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex) have been implicated in judgements of trustworthiness. These regions are also functionally atypical in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Studies investigating judgements of trustworthiness in ASDs have suggested possible disruptions in the allocation of significance to social stimuli. Concurrent measures of autonomic responses provide further insight into these deficits, given their role in the direction of attention and allocation of significance. Thirty high-functioning adults with ASDs and 31 non-clinical controls viewed neutral images piloted as most "positive" and "negative." Skin conductance (SCR, SCL) and evoked cardiac deceleration (ECD) were recorded. Adults with ASDs did not differ from controls in ratings of trustworthiness. However, they displayed atypical SCRs, providing further support for a disruption in the allocation of emotional significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Mathersul
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
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Miu AC, Pană SE, Avram J. Emotional face processing in neurotypicals with autistic traits: implications for the broad autism phenotype. Psychiatry Res 2012; 198:489-94. [PMID: 22425467 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2012.01.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2011] [Revised: 11/06/2011] [Accepted: 01/23/2012] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The present study investigated emotional face processing in neurotypicals selected for autistic traits (AT). Participants (N=81), who obtained scores one standard deviation above or below average on the Autism Spectrum Quotient, were tested using observational fear conditioning (FC), a face version of the attention probe task, and the "Reading the Mind in the Eyes" test. The results indicated that high AT participants displayed enhanced observational FC, no attentional bias to fearful faces, and increased latency (but normal accuracy) to recognizing the mental state of another. To a certain extent, this pattern resembles the social-emotional phenotype that was previously described in autism spectrum disorders. Therefore, these results may contribute to the broad autism phenotype perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrei C Miu
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, CJ 400015, Romania.
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Bailey PE, Henry JD, Varcin KJ. Right frontal cortical lesions disrupt anger mimicry. Neuropsychologia 2012; 50:1632-8. [PMID: 22465863 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2012.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2011] [Revised: 03/12/2012] [Accepted: 03/15/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The current study investigates the neural substrates of facial expression mimicry by assessing individuals with right and left lateralised frontal cortical lesions. Electromyography was used to measure spontaneous changes in electrical activity over the corrugator supercilii (brow) and zygomaticus major (cheek) muscle regions in response to happy and angry facial expressions. Individuals with right (n=4) and left (n=5) frontal cortical lesions and demographically matched controls (n=9) were compared. It was shown that while all three groups mimic happy facial expressions, only controls and individuals with left frontal lesions mimic angry expressions. These data are consistent with evidence for right frontal cortical specialisation for the processing of anger.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phoebe E Bailey
- School of Social Sciences and Psychology, University of Western Sydney, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia.
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Bayliss AP, Kritikos A. Brief report: perceptual load and the Autism Spectrum in typically developed individuals. J Autism Dev Disord 2012; 41:1573-8. [PMID: 21188489 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-010-1159-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A fundamental task of the cognitive system is to prioritize behaviourally relevant sensory inputs for processing at the expense of irrelevant inputs. In a study of neurotypical participants (n = 179), we utilized a brief flanker interference task while varying the perceptual load of the visual display. Typically, increasing perceptual load (i.e., with greater numbers of search items) reduces interference from a competing peripheral distractor. We show that individuals who score above average on the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) show stronger interference at high perceptual load than individuals with below-average AQ scores. This is consistent with recent findings in individuals with autism spectrum conditions, and supports the idea that the cognitive style of the autistic brain is reflected in a broader phenotype across the population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew P Bayliss
- McElwain Building, School of Psychology, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
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Wheelwright S, Auyeung B, Allison C, Baron-Cohen S. Defining the broader, medium and narrow autism phenotype among parents using the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ). Mol Autism 2010; 1:10. [PMID: 20678260 PMCID: PMC2913943 DOI: 10.1186/2040-2392-1-10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 192] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2010] [Accepted: 06/17/2010] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) is a self-report questionnaire for quantifying autistic traits. This study tests whether the AQ can differentiate between parents of children with an autism spectrum condition (ASC) and control parents. In this paper, the use of the AQ to define the broader, medium and narrow autism phenotypes (BAP, MAP, NAP) is reported, and the proportion of parents with each phenotype is compared between the two groups. Methods A sample of 571 fathers and 1429 mothers of children with an ASC completed the AQ, along with 349 fathers and 658 mothers of developing typically children. Results Both mothers and fathers of the diagnosed children scored higher than the control parents on total AQ score and on four out of five of the subscales. Additionally, there were more parents of diagnosed children with a BAP, MAP or NAP. Conclusions The AQ provides an efficient method for quantifying where an individual lies along the dimension of autistic traits, and extends the notion of a broader phenotype among first-degree relatives of those with ASC. The AQ is likely to have many applications, including population and clinical screening, and stratification in genetic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally Wheelwright
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18b Trumpington Rd, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, UK.
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McDonald S, Li S, De Sousa A, Rushby J, Dimoska A, James C, Tate RL. Impaired mimicry response to angry faces following severe traumatic brain injury. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2010; 33:17-29. [DOI: 10.1080/13803391003761967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Skye McDonald
- a University of New South Wales , Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Sophie Li
- a University of New South Wales , Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Arielle De Sousa
- a University of New South Wales , Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jacqueline Rushby
- a University of New South Wales , Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Aneta Dimoska
- a University of New South Wales , Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Charlotte James
- a University of New South Wales , Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Robyn L. Tate
- b Rehabilitation Studies Unit, Department of Medicine , Sydney University , Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Abstract
Tendency to mimic others' emotional facial expressions predicts empathy and may represent a physiological marker of psychopathy. Anatomical connectivity between amygdala, cingulate motor cortex (M3, M4), and facial nucleus demonstrates a potential neuroanatomical substrate for mimicry, though pharmacological influences are largely unknown. Norepinephrine modulation selectively impairs negative emotion recognition, reflecting a potential role in processing empathy-eliciting facial expressions. We examined effects of single doses of propranolol (beta-adrenoceptor blocker) and reboxetine (selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor) on automatic facial mimicry of sadness, anger, and happiness, and the relationship between mimicry and empathy. Forty-five healthy volunteers were randomized to 40 mg propranolol or 4 mg reboxetine. Two hours after drug subjects viewed and rated facial expressions of sadness, anger, and happiness, while corrugator, zygomatic, and mentalis EMG were recorded. Trait emotional empathy was measured using the Balanced Emotional Empathy Scale. EMG confirmed emotion-specific mimicry and the relationship between corrugator mimicry and empathy. Norepinephrine modulation did not alter mimicry to any expression or influence the relationship between mimicry and empathy. Corrugator but not zygomaticus mimicry predicts trait empathy, consistent with greater anatomical connectivity between amygdala and M3 coding upper facial muscle representations. Although influencing emotion perception, norepinephrine does not influence emotional facial mimicry or its relationship with trait empathy.
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Minio-Paluello I, Lombardo MV, Chakrabarti B, Wheelwright S, Baron-Cohen S. Response to Smith’s Letter to the Editor ‘Emotional Empathy in Autism Spectrum Conditions: Weak, Intact, or Heightened?’. J Autism Dev Disord 2009. [DOI: 10.1007/s10803-009-0800-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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