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Palmer SJ, Fanucci-Kiss A, Kipervassar E, Jalnapurkar I, Hodge SM, Frazier JA, Cochran D. Effect of Emotional Valence on Emotion Recognition in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2024; 54:1494-1506. [PMID: 36637588 PMCID: PMC10981587 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05831-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated how emotional valence of a perceived emotional state impacted performance on the Reading the Mind in the Eyes task (RMET) in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typically developing (TD) controls. Valence of items on the RMET, Adult (RMET-A) and Child (RMET-C) versions, was first classified in a survey of 113 medical students. Adolescents with ASD (N = 33) and TD adolescents (N = 30) were administered both RMET versions. Individuals with ASD made more errors than TD controls on positive and negative, but not neutral, valence items. The difference in performance was accentuated on the RMET-A compared to the RMET-C. Both emotional valence and complexity of language contribute to RMET performance in individuals with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Palmer
- Department of Psychiatry, UMASS Chan Medical School, 55 N Lake Ave, Worcester, MA, United States.
| | | | - Ella Kipervassar
- Department of Radiology, Mount Auburn Hospital, 777 Concord Ave, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Isha Jalnapurkar
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center, UMass Chan Medical School, 55 N Lake Ave Worcester, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Steven M Hodge
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center, UMass Chan Medical School, 55 N Lake Ave Worcester, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Jean A Frazier
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center, UMass Chan Medical School, 55 N Lake Ave Worcester, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - David Cochran
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center, UMass Chan Medical School, 55 N Lake Ave Worcester, Worcester, MA, United States
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Galván A. Adolescent Brain Development and Contextual Influences: A Decade in Review. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE 2021; 31:843-869. [PMID: 34820955 DOI: 10.1111/jora.12687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Adolescence is a developmental period characterized by substantial psychological, biological, and neurobiological changes. This review discusses the past decade of research on the adolescent brain, as based on the overarching framework that development is a dynamic process both within the individual and between the individual and external inputs. As such, this review focuses on research showing that the development of the brain is influenced by multiple ongoing and dynamic elements. It highlights the implications this body of work on behavioral development and offers areas of opportunity for future research in the coming decade.
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Kim SW, Moon SY, Hwang WJ, Lho SK, Oh S, Lee TY, Kim M, Kwon JS. Impaired Performance on the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test in First-Episode Psychosis and Clinical High Risk for Psychosis. Psychiatry Investig 2020; 17:1200-1206. [PMID: 33301666 PMCID: PMC8560336 DOI: 10.30773/pi.2020.0264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Although previous studies have reported impaired performance in the reading the mind in the eyes test (RMET), which measures complex emotion recognition abilities, in patients with schizophrenia, reports regarding individuals at clinical high risk (CHR) for psychosis have been inconsistent, mainly due to the interacting confounding effects of general cognitive abilities and age. We compared RMET performances across first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients, CHR individuals, and healthy controls (HCs) while controlling for the effects of both general cognitive abilities and age. METHODS A total of 25 FEP, 41 CHR, and 44 HC subjects matched for age participated in this study. RMET performance scores were compared across the groups using analysis of variance with sex and intelligence quotient as covariates. Exploratory Pearson's correlation analyses were performed to reveal the potential relationships of RMET scores with clinical symptom severity in the FEP and CHR groups. RESULTS RMET performance scores were significantly lower among FEP and CHR participants than among HCs. FEP patients and CHR subjects showed comparable RMET performance scores. RMET scores were negatively correlated with Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) positive symptom subscale scores in the FEP patients. No significant correlation was identified between RMET scores and other clinical scale scores. CONCLUSION Impaired RMET performance is present from the risk stage of psychosis, which might be related to positive symptom severity in early psychosis. Longitudinal studies are necessary to confirm the stability of complex emotion recognition impairments and their relationship with social functioning in early psychosis patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seo Woo Kim
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Seoul National University College of Natural Sciences, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sun-Young Moon
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Wu Jeong Hwang
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Seoul National University College of Natural Sciences, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Silvia Kyungjin Lho
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sanghoon Oh
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae Young Lee
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, Republic of Korea.,Institute of Human Behavioral Medicine, SNU-MRC, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Minah Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun Soo Kwon
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Institute of Human Behavioral Medicine, SNU-MRC, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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4
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Benda MS, Scherf KS. The Complex Emotion Expression Database: A validated stimulus set of trained actors. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0228248. [PMID: 32012179 PMCID: PMC6996812 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0228248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 01/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The vast majority of empirical work investigating the mechanisms supporting the perception and recognition of facial expressions is focused on basic expressions. Less is known about the underlying mechanisms supporting the processing of complex expressions, which provide signals about emotions related to more nuanced social behavior and inner thoughts. Here, we introduce the Complex Emotion Expression Database (CEED), a digital stimulus set of 243 basic and 237 complex emotional facial expressions. The stimuli represent six basic expressions (angry, disgusted, fearful, happy, sad, and surprised) and nine complex expressions (affectionate, attracted, betrayed, brokenhearted, contemptuous, desirous, flirtatious, jealous, and lovesick) that were posed by Black and White formally trained, young adult actors. All images were validated by a minimum of 50 adults in a 4-alternative forced choice task. Only images for which ≥ 50% of raters endorsed the correct emotion label were included in the final database. This database will be an excellent resource for researchers interested in studying the developmental, behavioral, and neural mechanisms supporting the perception and recognition of complex emotion expressions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret S. Benda
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
| | - K. Suzanne Scherf
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
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Meinhardt-Injac B, Daum MM, Meinhardt G. Theory of mind development from adolescence to adulthood: Testing the two-component model. BRITISH JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2020; 38:289-303. [PMID: 31960462 DOI: 10.1111/bjdp.12320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The ability to infer mental and affective states of others is crucial for social functioning. This ability, denoted as Theory of Mind (ToM), develops rapidly during childhood, yet results on its development across adolescence and into young adulthood are rare. In the present study, we tested the two-component model, measuring age-related changes in social-perceptual and social-cognitive ToM in a sample of 267 participants between 11 and 25 years of age. Additionally, we measured language, reasoning, and inhibitory control as major covariates. Participants inferred mental states from non-verbal cues in a social-perceptual task (Eye Test) and from stories with faux pas in a social-cognitive task (Faux Pas Test). Results showed substantial improvement across adolescence in both ToM measures and in the covariates. Analysis with linear mixed models (LMM) revealed specific age-related growth for the social-perceptual component, while the age-related increase of the social-cognitive component fully aligned with the increase of the covariates. These results support the distinction between ToM components and indicate that adolescence is a crucial period for developing social-perceptual ToM abilities. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? To date, much research has been dedicated to Theory of Mind (ToM) development in early and middle childhood. However, only a few studies have examined development of ToM in adolescence. Studies so far suggest age-related differences in ToM between adolescents and young adults. What this study adds The study offers several methodological advantages including a large sample size with a continuous distribution of age (age 11-25) and the use of a comprehensive test battery to assess ToM and covariates (language, executive functions, reasoning). The results provide evidence for asymmetries in the development of two ToM components (social-perceptual and social-cognitive; the two-component account) across the studied age range: the social perceptual component showed specific development, while the age-related increase of the social-cognitive component fully aligned with increase of the covariates. Adolescence is a crucial period for developing social-perceptual ToM abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bozana Meinhardt-Injac
- Catholic University of Applied Science Berlin (KHSB), Berlin, Germany.,Department of Psychology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Moritz M Daum
- Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Switzerland.,Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Günter Meinhardt
- Department of Psychology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
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The coupling between face and emotion recognition from early adolescence to young adulthood. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2020.100851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Abstract
Social cognition refers to a complex set of mental abilities underlying social stimulus perception, processing, interpretation, and response. Together, these abilities support the development of adequate social competence and adaptation. Social cognition has a protracted development through infancy to adulthood. Given the preponderance of social dysfunctions across neurologic conditions, social cognition is now recognized as a core domain of functioning that warrants clinical attention. This chapter provides an overview of the construct of social cognition, defines some of the most clinically significant sociocognitive abilities (face processing, facial expression processing, joint attention, theory of mind, empathy, and moral processing), and introduces the neural networks and frameworks associated with these abilities. Broad principles for understanding the development of social cognition are presented, and a summary of normative developmental milestones of clinically relevant sociocognitive abilities is proposed. General guidelines for sound social cognition assessment in children and adolescents are summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cindy Beaudoin
- Research Centre, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Miriam H Beauchamp
- Research Centre, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.
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8
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Oldershaw A, Startup H, Lavender T. Anorexia Nervosa and a Lost Emotional Self: A Psychological Formulation of the Development, Maintenance, and Treatment of Anorexia Nervosa. Front Psychol 2019; 10:219. [PMID: 30886593 PMCID: PMC6410927 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In this paper, we argue that Anorexia Nervosa (AN) can be explained as arising from a 'lost sense of emotional self.' We begin by briefly reviewing evidence accumulated to date supporting the consensus that a complex range of genetic, biological, psychological, and socio-environmental risk and maintenance factors contribute to the development and maintenance of AN. We consider how current interventions seek to tackle these factors in psychotherapy and potential limitations. We then propose our theory that many risk and maintenance factors may be unified by an underpinning explanation of emotional processing difficulties leading to a lost sense of 'emotional self.' Further, we discuss how, once established, AN becomes 'self-perpetuating' and the 'lost sense of emotional self' relentlessly deepens. We outline these arguments in detail, drawing on empirical and neuroscientific data, before discussing the implications of this model for understanding AN and informing clinical intervention. We argue that experiential models of therapy (e.g., emotion-focused therapy; schema therapy) be employed to achieve emergence and integration of an 'emotional self' which can be flexibly and adaptively used to direct an individual's needs and relationships. Furthermore, we assert that this should be a primary goal of therapy for adults with established AN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Oldershaw
- Salmons Centre for Applied Psychology, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, United Kingdom
- Kent and Medway All Age Eating Disorder Service, North East London NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Helen Startup
- Sussex Eating Disorders Service and Research and Development Department, Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Sussex, United Kingdom
| | - Tony Lavender
- Salmons Centre for Applied Psychology, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, United Kingdom
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Scherf KS, Griffin JW, Judy B, Whyte EM, Geier CF, Elbich D, Smyth JM. Improving sensitivity to eye gaze cues in autism using serious game technology: study protocol for a phase I randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open 2018; 8:e023682. [PMID: 30287612 PMCID: PMC6173230 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-023682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Revised: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterised by impairments in social communication. Core symptoms are deficits in social looking behaviours, including limited visual attention to faces and sensitivity to eye gaze cues. We designed an intervention game using serious game mechanics for adolescents with ASD. It is designed to train individuals with ASD to discover that the eyes, and shifts in gaze specifically, provide information about the external world. We predict that the game will increase understanding of gaze cues and attention to faces. METHODS AND ANALYSIS The Social Games for Adolescents with Autism (SAGA) trial is a preliminary, randomised controlled trial comparing the intervention game with a waitlist control condition. 34 adolescents (10-18 years) with ASD with a Full-Scale IQ between 70 and 130 and a minimum second grade reading level, and their parents, will be randomly assigned (equally to intervention or the control condition) following baseline assessments. Intervention participants will be instructed to play the computer game at home on a computer for ~30 min, three times a week. All families are tested in the lab at baseline and approximately 2 months following randomisation in all measures. Primary outcomes are assessed with eye tracking to measure sensitivity to eye gaze cues and social visual attention to faces; secondary outcomes are assessed with questionnaires to measure social skills and autism-like behaviours. The analyses will focus on evaluating the feasibility, safety and preliminary effectiveness of the intervention. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION SAGA is approved by the Institutional Review Board at Pennsylvania State University (00005097). Findings will be disseminated via scientific conferences and peer-reviewed journals and to participants via newsletter. The intervention game will be available to families in the control condition after the full data are collected and if analyses indicate that it is effective. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT02968225.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Suzanne Scherf
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jason W Griffin
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Brian Judy
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Elisabeth M Whyte
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Charles F Geier
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Daniel Elbich
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Joshua M Smyth
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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Morningstar M, Nelson EE, Dirks MA. Maturation of vocal emotion recognition: Insights from the developmental and neuroimaging literature. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 90:221-230. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.04.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2017] [Revised: 03/16/2018] [Accepted: 04/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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11
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Is there heightened sensitivity to social reward in adolescence? Curr Opin Neurobiol 2016; 40:81-85. [DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2016.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2016] [Revised: 06/14/2016] [Accepted: 06/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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12
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The development of social cognition in adolescence: An integrated perspective. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 70:106-120. [PMID: 27545755 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 200] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2016] [Revised: 08/12/2016] [Accepted: 08/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Social cognitive processes are critical in navigating complex social interactions and are associated with a network of brain areas termed the 'social brain'. Here, we describe the development of social cognition, and the structural and functional changes in the social brain during adolescence, a period of life characterised by extensive changes in social behaviour and environments. Neuroimaging and behavioural studies have demonstrated that the social brain and social cognition undergo significant development in human adolescence. Development of social cognition and the social brain are discussed in the context of developments in other neural systems, such as those implicated in motivational-affective and cognitive control processes. Successful transition to adulthood requires the rapid refinement and integration of these processes and many adolescent-typical behaviours, such as peer influence and sensitivity to social exclusion, involve dynamic interactions between these systems. Considering these interactions, and how they vary between individuals and across development, could increase our understanding of adolescent brain and behavioural development.
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Motta-Mena NV, Scherf KS. Pubertal development shapes perception of complex facial expressions. Dev Sci 2016; 20. [PMID: 27321445 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2015] [Accepted: 03/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
We previously hypothesized that pubertal development shapes the emergence of new components of face processing (Scherf et al., 2012; Garcia & Scherf, 2015). Here, we evaluate this hypothesis by investigating emerging perceptual sensitivity to complex versus basic facial expressions across pubertal development. We tested pre-pubescent children (6-8 years), age- and sex-matched adolescents in early and later stages of pubertal development (11-14 years), and sexually mature adults (18-24 years). Using a perceptual staircase procedure, participants made visual discriminations of both socially complex expressions (sexual interest, contempt) that are arguably relevant to emerging peer-oriented relationships of adolescence, and basic (happy, anger) expressions that are important even in early infancy. Only sensitivity to detect complex expressions improved as a function of pubertal development. The ability to perceive these expressions is adult-like by late puberty when adolescents become sexually mature. This pattern of results provides the first evidence that pubertal development specifically influences emerging affective components of face perception in adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie V Motta-Mena
- Department of Psychology and Center for Brain, Behavior and Cognition, Penn State University, USA
| | - K Suzanne Scherf
- Department of Psychology and Center for Brain, Behavior and Cognition, Penn State University, USA
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Booker JA, Dunsmore JC. Affective Social Competence in Adolescence: Current Findings and Future Directions. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/sode.12193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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