1
|
Li F, Li X, Kou H. Emotional Recognition Training Enhances Attention to Emotional Stimuli Among Male Juvenile Delinquents. Psychol Res Behav Manag 2023; 16:575-586. [PMID: 36883045 PMCID: PMC9985883 DOI: 10.2147/prbm.s403512] [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: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective Juvenile delinquents have deficits in emotional recognition that might play a critical role in the development of aggression. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of emotional recognition training and its consequences on emotional attention and aggression. Methods Seventy-three male juvenile delinquents were randomly assigned to two groups. One group was the modification group, which received eight days of training on an emotional recognition task. The purpose of the training was to modify interpretative biases in emotion recognition to encourage the perception of happiness over anger in ambiguous expressions. The other group was the waitlist group, which did not perform a task and continued with their usual programme. Before and after the training, participants completed the aggression questionnaire (AQ) and two behavioural tasks, including the emotional recognition task and a visual search task with happy and angry faces as targets. Results The modification group recognized more faces as happy after emotional recognition training than the waitlist group. Furthermore, the hostility in the modification group decreased significantly. Importantly, emotional recognition training further affected attention to emotional faces as participants responded faster in searching for happy and angry faces after training. Conclusion Emotional recognition training could modify juvenile delinquents' emotional recognition, enhance their visual attention to emotional faces and reduce hostility.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fangmin Li
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xue Li
- Research Center of Humanities and Medicine in School of Management, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Hui Kou
- Research Center of Humanities and Medicine in School of Management, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Sato W, Namba S, Yang D, Nishida S, Ishi C, Minato T. An Android for Emotional Interaction: Spatiotemporal Validation of Its Facial Expressions. Front Psychol 2022; 12:800657. [PMID: 35185697 PMCID: PMC8855677 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.800657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Android robots capable of emotional interactions with humans have considerable potential for application to research. While several studies developed androids that can exhibit human-like emotional facial expressions, few have empirically validated androids' facial expressions. To investigate this issue, we developed an android head called Nikola based on human psychology and conducted three studies to test the validity of its facial expressions. In Study 1, Nikola produced single facial actions, which were evaluated in accordance with the Facial Action Coding System. The results showed that 17 action units were appropriately produced. In Study 2, Nikola produced the prototypical facial expressions for six basic emotions (anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise), and naïve participants labeled photographs of the expressions. The recognition accuracy of all emotions was higher than chance level. In Study 3, Nikola produced dynamic facial expressions for six basic emotions at four different speeds, and naïve participants evaluated the naturalness of the speed of each expression. The effect of speed differed across emotions, as in previous studies of human expressions. These data validate the spatial and temporal patterns of Nikola's emotional facial expressions, and suggest that it may be useful for future psychological studies and real-life applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wataru Sato
- Psychological Process Research Team, Guardian Robot Project, RIKEN, Kyoto, Japan
- Field Science Education and Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Shushi Namba
- Psychological Process Research Team, Guardian Robot Project, RIKEN, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Dongsheng Yang
- Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Shin’ya Nishida
- Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- NTT Communication Science Laboratories, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, Atsugi, Japan
| | - Carlos Ishi
- Interactive Robot Research Team, Guardian Robot Project, RIKEN, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takashi Minato
- Interactive Robot Research Team, Guardian Robot Project, RIKEN, Kyoto, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Neuroanatomy of complex social emotion dysregulation in adolescent offenders. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2021; 21:1083-1100. [PMID: 33973160 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-021-00903-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Social emotions require the correct integration of emotional, cognitive, and social processes and are critical for complex social interactions. Adolescent criminal offenders (AOs) show abnormalities in the experience of basic emotions. However, most research has focused solely on basic emotions, neglecting complex social emotions that could be critical for social reintegration. The purpose of this study was to investigate the behavioral and neural correlates of social emotions (envy and Schadenfreude) in AOs. We explored the experience of complex social emotions, as well as their anatomical correlates, in AOs (n = 19) and a nonoffenders control group (NOs, n = 20). Additionally, we assessed the relationship between social emotions, executive functions (EFs), and fluid intelligence (FI). Structural brain imaging was obtained in all participants. The results showed that AOs had significantly lower envy and Schadenfreude ratings and exhibited lower performance in EFs compared with NOs. The measurement of EFs relied on the INECO frontal screening (IFS). Experiencing fewer social emotions was associated with diminished EFs but not with FI. Moreover, in AOs, reduced levels of envy and Schadenfreude were linked with reduced gray matter volumes in regions subserving mentalizing abilities (inferior parietal lobe and precuneus) and socioemotional processing (inferior and middle temporal regions), as well as key hubs of the executive frontoparietal network (inferior parietal lobule, orbital and rectus gyri). Additional analysis on the AOs revealed no associations between the type of crime and our variables of interest (EFs, FI and social emotions). Our findings are the first to provide evidence on abnormalities in the experience of social emotions in AOs that are associated with neurocognitive markers of social cognition and EFs. Understanding social emotions and their abnormalities (under-experience) as complex intertwined processes may have important future translational implications, including risk prediction for social adaptation/reintegration, sociocognitive targeted interventions, and skill training for social emotions in vulnerable populations.
Collapse
|
4
|
Abstract
Since the historical conception of psychopathy, researchers have been interested in understanding moral functioning among psychopathic individuals. The present study investigated the association between psychopathic traits and moral intuitions among incarcerated juvenile offenders (N = 178). Participants were assessed using the Psychopathy Checklist:Youth Version (Forth et al., 2003) and the Moral Foundations Questionnaire (Graham et al., 2011), which defines five core moral foundations: Harm/care, Fairness/reciprocity, Ingroup/loyalty, Authority/respect, and Purity/sanctity. As expected, psychopathy in juvenile offenders negatively predicted endorsement of all five foundations. This study is the first to demonstrate broad abnormalities in Haidt et al.'s moral foundations in a juvenile sample and can help explain delinquent behavior in juveniles with psychopathic traits. Implications for theories of psychopathy are discussed.
Collapse
|
5
|
Pino M, Montaño S, Agudelo K, Idárraga-Cabrera C, Fernández-Lucas J, Herrera-Mendoza K. Emotion recognition in young male offenders and non-offenders. Physiol Behav 2019; 207:73-75. [PMID: 30898539 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2018] [Revised: 03/16/2019] [Accepted: 03/16/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The study of facial emotional expressions not only gives information about communicative and adaptive processes, but also provides valuable knowledge about some aspects of human behaviour, such as emotions and intentions. Taking into account the proved evidence that deficits in processing emotional information shows difficulties in executive functions and social behavior, the present work aims to compare the perceptual and dimensional similarities between the emotions transmitted by the faces (facial emotions) and those typically associated with two particular emotional contexts (offenders and non-offenders). To evaluate the contextual influence on emotional face categorization, the emotional recognition in 69 male young (35 offenders (17.22 ± 1.5 years) and 34 non-offenders (16.90 ± 1.56 years) from Barranquilla (Colombia) was analyzed. Experimental results displayed significant differences among the two groups, mainly focused in the recognition of anger and disgust faces. In this sense, the analysis of abovementioned data may lead to the development of more specific and cost-effective therapeutic treatments for offender population.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Pino
- Universidad Autónoma del Caribe, Grupo de Investigación Cerebro, Cognición y Procesos Sociales, Barranquilla, Colombia
| | - Synella Montaño
- Universidad Autónoma del Caribe, Grupo de Investigación Cerebro, Cognición y Procesos Sociales, Barranquilla, Colombia
| | - Katty Agudelo
- Fundación Hogares Claret, Dirección científica, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Claudia Idárraga-Cabrera
- Grupo de Investigación Cultura, Educacion y Sociedad, Universidad de la Costa CUC, Barranquilla, Colombia
| | - Jesús Fernández-Lucas
- Grupo de Investigación en Desarrollo Agroindustrial sostenible, Universidad de la Costa CUC, Barranquilla, Colombia; Applied Biotechnology Group, European University of Madrid, Spain
| | - Ketty Herrera-Mendoza
- Grupo de Investigación Cultura, Educacion y Sociedad, Universidad de la Costa CUC, Barranquilla, Colombia.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Santamaría-García H, Ibáñez A, Montaño S, García AM, Patiño-Saenz M, Idarraga C, Pino M, Baez S. Out of Context, Beyond the Face: Neuroanatomical Pathways of Emotional Face-Body Language Integration in Adolescent Offenders. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:34. [PMID: 30863291 PMCID: PMC6399662 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Adolescent offenders (AOs) are characterized by social-norm transgression and aggressive behaviors. Those traits have been associated with alterations in socio-cognitive processes, including facial emotion recognition. While this would suggest that AOs tend to interpret negative emotional cues as threatening information, most research has relied on context-free stimuli, thus failing to directly track integrative processes typical of everyday cognition. Methods: In this study, we assessed the impact of body language and surrounding context on facial emotion recognition in AOs and non-offenders (NOs). We recruited 35 AOs from a reform school for young male offenders and 30 NOs matched for age and sex with the former group. All participants completed a well-validated task aimed to determine how contextual cues (i.e., emotional body language and surrounding context) influence facial emotion recognition through the use of congruent and incongruent combinations of facial and bodily emotional information. Results: This study showed that AOs tend to overvalue bodily and contextual signals in emotion recognition, with poorer facial-emotion categorization and increased sensitivity to context information in incongruent face-body scenarios. This pattern was associated with executive dysfunctions and disruptive behaviors, as well as with gray matter (GM) of brain regions supporting body-face recognition [fusiform gyrus (FG)], emotion processing [cingulate cortex (CC), superior temporal gyrus (STG)], contextual integration (precuneus, STG), and motor resonance [cerebellum, supplementary motor area (SMA)]. Discussion: Together, our results pave the way for a better understanding of the neurocognitive association between contextual emotion recognition, behavioral regulation, cognitive control, and externalized behaviors in AOs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hernando Santamaría-García
- Departamentos de Psiquiatría y Fisiología, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia.,Centro de memoria y cognición Intellectus, Hospital Universitario San Ignacio, Bogotá, Colombia.,Grupo de Investigación Cerebro y Cognición Social, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Agustin Ibáñez
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience (LPEN), Institute of Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience (INCYT), INECO Foundation, Favaloro University, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Departamento de Psicología, Universidad Autónoma del Caribe, Barranquilla, Colombia.,Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago de Chile, Chile.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Synella Montaño
- Departamento de Psicología, Universidad Autónoma del Caribe, Barranquilla, Colombia
| | - Adolfo M García
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience (LPEN), Institute of Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience (INCYT), INECO Foundation, Favaloro University, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Faculty of Education, National University of Cuyo (UNCuyo), Mendoza, Argentina
| | | | - Claudia Idarraga
- Departamento de Psicología, Universidad de la Costa, Barranquilla, Colombia
| | - Mariana Pino
- Departamento de Psicología, Universidad Autónoma del Caribe, Barranquilla, Colombia
| | - Sandra Baez
- Grupo de Investigación Cerebro y Cognición Social, Bogotá, Colombia.,Departamento de Psicología, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Dunn EC, Crawford KM, Soare TW, Button KS, Raffeld MR, Smith AD, Penton-Voak IS, Munafò MR. Exposure to childhood adversity and deficits in emotion recognition: results from a large, population-based sample. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2018; 59:845-854. [PMID: 29512866 PMCID: PMC6041167 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emotion recognition skills are essential for social communication. Deficits in these skills have been implicated in mental disorders. Prior studies of clinical and high-risk samples have consistently shown that children exposed to adversity are more likely than their unexposed peers to have emotion recognition skills deficits. However, only one population-based study has examined this association. METHODS We analyzed data from children participating in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, a prospective birth cohort (n = 6,506). We examined the association between eight adversities, assessed repeatedly from birth to age 8 (caregiver physical or emotional abuse; sexual or physical abuse; maternal psychopathology; one adult in the household; family instability; financial stress; parent legal problems; neighborhood disadvantage) and the ability to recognize facial displays of emotion measured using the faces subtest of the Diagnostic Assessment of Non-Verbal Accuracy (DANVA) at age 8.5 years. In addition to examining the role of exposure (vs. nonexposure) to each type of adversity, we also evaluated the role of the timing, duration, and recency of each adversity using a Least Angle Regression variable selection procedure. RESULTS Over three-quarters of the sample experienced at least one adversity. We found no evidence to support an association between emotion recognition deficits and previous exposure to adversity, either in terms of total lifetime exposure, timing, duration, or recency, or when stratifying by sex. CONCLUSIONS Results from the largest population-based sample suggest that even extreme forms of adversity are unrelated to emotion recognition deficits as measured by the DANVA, suggesting the possible immutability of emotion recognition in the general population. These findings emphasize the importance of population-based studies to generate generalizable results.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erin C. Dunn
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
- Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - Katherine M. Crawford
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Thomas W. Soare
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | | | - Miriam R. Raffeld
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Andrew D.A.C. Smith
- Applied Statistics Group, University of the West of England, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Ian S. Penton-Voak
- School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Marcus R. Munafò
- School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
- Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit (MRC IEU) at the University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
- UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Tippett DC, Godin BR, Oishi K, Oishi K, Davis C, Gomez Y, Trupe LA, Kim EH, Hillis AE. Impaired Recognition of Emotional Faces after Stroke Involving Right Amygdala or Insula. Semin Speech Lang 2018; 39:87-100. [PMID: 29359308 PMCID: PMC5837057 DOI: 10.1055/s-0037-1608859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Despite its basic and translational importance, the neural circuitry supporting the perception of emotional faces remains incompletely understood. Functional imaging studies and chronic lesion studies indicate distinct roles of the amygdala and insula in recognition of fear and disgust in facial expressions, whereas intracranial encephalography studies, which are not encumbered by variations in human anatomy, indicate a somewhat different role of these structures. In this article, we leveraged lesion-mapping techniques in individuals with acute right hemisphere stroke to investigate lesions associated with impaired recognition of prototypic emotional faces before significant neural reorganization can occur during recovery from stroke. Right hemisphere stroke patients were significantly less accurate than controls on a test of emotional facial recognition for both positive and negative emotions. Patients with right amygdala or anterior insula lesions had significantly lower scores than other right hemisphere stroke patients on recognition of angry and happy faces. Lesion volume within several regions, including the right amygdala and anterior insula, each independently contributed to the error rate in recognition of individual emotions. Results provide additional support for a necessary role of the right amygdala and anterior insula within a network of regions underlying recognition of facial expressions, particularly those that have biological importance or motivational relevance and have implications for clinical practice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Donna C. Tippett
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore MD, USA, 21287
- Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore MD, USA, 21287
- Department of Otolaryngology--Head & Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore MD, USA, 21287
| | - Brittany R. Godin
- Rehabilitation Services, University of Maryland Charles Regional Medical Center, La Plata, Maryland
| | - Kumiko Oishi
- Center for Imaging Science, Whiting School of Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Kenichi Oishi
- Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore MD, USA, 21287
| | - Cameron Davis
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore MD, USA, 21287
| | - Yessenia Gomez
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore MD, USA, 21287
| | - Lydia A. Trupe
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore MD, USA, 21287
| | - Eun Hye Kim
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore MD, USA, 21287
| | - Argye E. Hillis
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore MD, USA, 21287
- Department of Otolaryngology--Head & Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore MD, USA, 21287
- Department of Cognitive Science, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Eltink EMA, Ten Hoeve J, De Jongh T, Van der Helm GHP, Wissink IB, Stams GJJM. Stability and Change of Adolescents' Aggressive Behavior in Residential Youth Care. CHILD & YOUTH CARE FORUM 2017; 47:199-217. [PMID: 29527107 PMCID: PMC5834580 DOI: 10.1007/s10566-017-9425-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aggression in residential youth care institutions is a frequent problem. OBJECTIVE The present short-term longitudinal study examined individual and institutional predictors of aggression in a group of 198 adolescents placed in open, semi-secure and secure residential institutions from the perspective of the importation and deprivation model. METHODS A total of 198 adolescents in residential youth care filled in questionnaires regarding group climate and aggression with a 3 month interval. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed to test the degree to which individual and contextual factors predict aggression. RESULTS Very limited support was found for the effect of contextual factors; only repression showed a trend, predicting direct aggression, while gender composition of the living groups yielded a small effect. Girls placed in same-gender groups showed lower levels of indirect (relational) aggression compared to adolescents placed in mixed-gender or boys-only groups, even when controlled for gender and initial levels of aggression. Type of institution (i.e., level of security) did not predict differences in aggression. In particular individual characteristics of the adolescents were associated with later aggression, including initial levels of aggression, showing substantial 3 months stability, age and gender of the adolescents. CONCLUSIONS These findings are in line with research showing that aggression is relatively stable. Very limited support for environmental effects was found.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- E. M. A. Eltink
- Department of Forensic Child and Youth Care Sciences, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 15780, 1001 NG Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - J. Ten Hoeve
- Department of Institute of Social Work, University of Applied Sciences of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - T. De Jongh
- Department of Forensic Child and Youth Care Sciences, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 15780, 1001 NG Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - G. H. P. Van der Helm
- Youth Expert Centre, Leiden University of Professional Sciences, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - I. B. Wissink
- Department of Forensic Child and Youth Care Sciences, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 15780, 1001 NG Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - G. J. J. M. Stams
- Department of Forensic Child and Youth Care Sciences, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 15780, 1001 NG Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Heynen E, van der Helm P, Cima M, Stams GJ, Korebrits A. The Relation Between Living Group Climate, Aggression, and Callous-Unemotional Traits in Delinquent Boys in Detention. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OFFENDER THERAPY AND COMPARATIVE CRIMINOLOGY 2017; 61:1701-1718. [PMID: 26873150 DOI: 10.1177/0306624x16630543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Aggression and callous-unemotional (CU) traits are common problems in incarcerated delinquent youth. The present study was conducted to examine whether living group climate was associated with aggression and CU traits in late adolescent male offenders ( N = 156) in a German youth prison. A structural equation model was fitted to the data and showed associations between repression and reactive aggression and CU traits, but no associations between an open and supportive living group climate and aggression and CU traits. Previous research in Dutch youth prisons did not find a relation between repression and aggression, buta relation between a positive living group climate and less aggression. These different findings may reflect differences in the German and Dutch prison system. Implications for practice are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn Heynen
- 1 Maastricht University, The Netherlands
- 2 Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, Heerlen, The Netherlands
| | - Peer van der Helm
- 3 University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- 4 Leiden University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands
| | - Maaike Cima
- 5 Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
11
|
Emotional facial recognition in proactive and reactive violent offenders. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2017; 267:687-695. [PMID: 28258396 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-017-0776-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2016] [Accepted: 02/16/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to analyse individual differences in the ability of emotional facial recognition in violent offenders, who were characterised as either reactive or proactive in relation to their offending. In accordance with findings of our previous study, we expected higher impairments in facial recognition in reactive than proactive violent offenders. To assess the ability to recognize facial expressions, the computer-based Facial Emotional Expression Labeling Test (FEEL) was performed. Group allocation of reactive und proactive violent offenders and assessment of psychopathic traits were performed by an independent forensic expert using rating scales (PROREA, PCL-SV). Compared to proactive violent offenders and controls, the performance of emotion recognition in the reactive offender group was significantly lower, both in total and especially in recognition of negative emotions such as anxiety (d = -1.29), sadness (d = -1.54), and disgust (d = -1.11). Furthermore, reactive violent offenders showed a tendency to interpret non-anger emotions as anger. In contrast, proactive violent offenders performed as well as controls. General and specific deficits in reactive violent offenders are in line with the results of our previous study and correspond to predictions of the Integrated Emotion System (IES, 7) and the hostile attribution processes (21). Due to the different error pattern in the FEEL test, the theoretical distinction between proactive and reactive aggression can be supported based on emotion recognition, even though aggression itself is always a heterogeneous act rather than a distinct one-dimensional concept.
Collapse
|
12
|
Penton-Voak IS, Munafò MR, Looi CY. Biased Facial-Emotion Perception in Mental Health Disorders: A Possible Target for Psychological Intervention? CURRENT DIRECTIONS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2017. [DOI: 10.1177/0963721417704405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Our perception of emotion in the faces of others affects our own behavior and mood. Indeed, individuals with mood disorders such as depression and aggression often show biases in facial-emotion perception. Here, we review recent and ongoing research suggesting that biased emotion perception may be on the causal pathway of the onset and maintenance of mood disorders, and hence a potential target for intervention. Simple cognitive-bias modification tasks that change participants’ perception of facial expressions of emotion have shown some promise as a therapeutic technique. We outline further directions for continued research investigating the robustness and clinical impact of emotion-bias modification in real-world settings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Marcus R. Munafò
- School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol
- UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, University of Bristol
| | - Chung Yen Looi
- School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol
- Cambridge Cognition Ltd., Cambridge, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Impaired social cognition in violent offenders: perceptual deficit or cognitive bias? Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2017; 267:257-266. [PMID: 27623869 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-016-0727-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2016] [Accepted: 08/21/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Aggressive behavior is assumed to be associated with certain patterns of social information processing. While some theories link aggression to a tendency to interpret ambiguous stimuli as hostile (i.e., enhanced sensitivity to anger), others assume an insufficient ability to perceive emotional expressions, particularly fear. Despite compelling evidence to support both theories, no previous study has directly investigated the predictions made by these two accounts in aggressive populations. The aim of the current study was to test processing patterns for angry and fearful facial expressions in violent offenders (VOs) and healthy controls (CTLs) and their association with self-reported aggression and psychopathy scores. In Experiment 1, we assessed perceptual sensitivity to neutral-emotional (angry, fearful, happy) blends in a task which did not require categorization, but an indication whether the stimulus is neutral or emotional. In Experiment 2, we assessed categorization performance for ambiguous fearful-happy and angry-happy blends. No group differences were revealed in Experiment 1, while Experiment 2 indicated a deficit in the categorization of ambiguous fearful blends in the VO group. Importantly, this deficit was associated with both self-reported psychopathy and aggression in the VO, but not the CTL group. The current study provides evidence for a deficient categorization of fearful expressions and its association with self-reported aggression and psychopathy in VOs, but no support for heightened sensitivity to anger. Furthermore, the current findings indicate that the deficit is tied to categorization but not detection stages of social information processing.
Collapse
|
14
|
Schönenberg M, Mayer SV, Christian S, Louis K, Jusyte A. Facial Affect Recognition in Violent and Nonviolent Antisocial Behavior Subtypes. J Pers Disord 2016; 30:708-719. [PMID: 26168326 DOI: 10.1521/pedi_2015_29_217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Prior studies provide evidence for impaired recognition of distress cues in individuals exhibiting antisocial behavior. However, it remains unclear whether this deficit is generally associated with antisociality or may be specific to violent behavior only. To examine whether there are meaningful differences between the two behavioral dimensions rule-breaking and aggression, violent and nonviolent incarcerated offenders as well as control participants were presented with an animated face recognition task in which a video sequence of a neutral face changed into an expression of one of the six basic emotions. The participants were instructed to press a button as soon as they were able to identify the emotional expression, allowing for an assessment of the perceived emotion onset. Both aggressive and nonaggressive offenders demonstrated a delayed perception of primarily fearful facial cues as compared to controls. These results suggest the importance of targeting impaired emotional processing in both types of antisocial behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Schönenberg
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sarah Verena Mayer
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sandra Christian
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Germany
| | - Katharina Louis
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Germany
| | - Aiste Jusyte
- LEAD Graduate School, University of Tübingen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Improving Negative Emotion Recognition in Young Offenders Reduces Subsequent Crime. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0132035. [PMID: 26121148 PMCID: PMC4486167 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0132035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2015] [Accepted: 06/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Children with antisocial behaviour show deficits in the perception of emotional expressions in others that may contribute to the development and persistence of antisocial and aggressive behaviour. Current treatments for antisocial youngsters are limited in effectiveness. It has been argued that more attention should be devoted to interventions that target neuropsychological correlates of antisocial behaviour. This study examined the effect of emotion recognition training on criminal behaviour. Methods Emotion recognition and crime levels were studied in 50 juvenile offenders. Whilst all young offenders received their statutory interventions as the study was conducted, a subgroup of twenty-four offenders also took part in a facial affect training aimed at improving emotion recognition. Offenders in the training and control groups were matched for age, SES, IQ and lifetime crime level. All offenders were tested twice for emotion recognition performance, and recent crime data were collected after the testing had been completed. Results Before the training there were no differences between the groups in emotion recognition, with both groups displaying poor fear, sadness and anger recognition. After the training fear, sadness and anger recognition improved significantly in juvenile offenders in the training group. Although crime rates dropped in all offenders in the 6 months following emotion testing, only the group of offenders who had received the emotion training showed a significant reduction in the severity of the crimes they committed. Conclusions The study indicates that emotion recognition can be relatively easily improved in youths who engage in serious antisocial and criminal behavior. The results suggest that improved emotion recognition has the potential to reduce the severity of reoffending.
Collapse
|
16
|
Gonzalez-Gadea ML, Herrera E, Parra M, Gomez Mendez P, Baez S, Manes F, Ibanez A. Emotion recognition and cognitive empathy deficits in adolescent offenders revealed by context-sensitive tasks. Front Hum Neurosci 2014; 8:850. [PMID: 25374529 PMCID: PMC4204464 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2014] [Accepted: 10/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Emotion recognition and empathy abilities require the integration of contextual information in real-life scenarios. Previous reports have explored these domains in adolescent offenders (AOs) but have not used tasks that replicate everyday situations. In this study we included ecological measures with different levels of contextual dependence to evaluate emotion recognition and empathy in AOs relative to non-offenders, controlling for the effect of demographic variables. We also explored the influence of fluid intelligence (FI) and executive functions (EFs) in the prediction of relevant deficits in these domains. Our results showed that AOs exhibit deficits in context-sensitive measures of emotion recognition and cognitive empathy. Difficulties in these tasks were neither explained by demographic variables nor predicted by FI or EFs. However, performance on measures that included simpler stimuli or could be solved by explicit knowledge was either only partially affected by demographic variables or preserved in AOs. These findings indicate that AOs show contextual social-cognition impairments which are relatively independent of basic cognitive functioning and demographic variables.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Luz Gonzalez-Gadea
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience, Institute of Cognitive Neurology Buenos Aires, Argentina ; National Scientific and Technical Research Council Buenos Aires, Argentina ; UDP-INECO Foundation Core on Neuroscience, Diego Portales University Santiago, Chile
| | - Eduar Herrera
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience, Institute of Cognitive Neurology Buenos Aires, Argentina ; National Scientific and Technical Research Council Buenos Aires, Argentina ; Universidad Autonoma del Caribe Barranquilla, Colombia
| | - Mario Parra
- UDP-INECO Foundation Core on Neuroscience, Diego Portales University Santiago, Chile ; Human Cognitive Neuroscience, Psychology Department, University of Edinburgh Edinburgh, UK ; Scottish Dementia Clinical Research Network Perth, UK ; Neuropsy and Biomedical Unit, Health School, University Surcolombiana Neiva, Colombia
| | | | - Sandra Baez
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience, Institute of Cognitive Neurology Buenos Aires, Argentina ; National Scientific and Technical Research Council Buenos Aires, Argentina ; UDP-INECO Foundation Core on Neuroscience, Diego Portales University Santiago, Chile
| | - Facundo Manes
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience, Institute of Cognitive Neurology Buenos Aires, Argentina ; National Scientific and Technical Research Council Buenos Aires, Argentina ; UDP-INECO Foundation Core on Neuroscience, Diego Portales University Santiago, Chile ; Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Australian Research Council Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Agustin Ibanez
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience, Institute of Cognitive Neurology Buenos Aires, Argentina ; National Scientific and Technical Research Council Buenos Aires, Argentina ; UDP-INECO Foundation Core on Neuroscience, Diego Portales University Santiago, Chile ; Universidad Autonoma del Caribe Barranquilla, Colombia ; Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Australian Research Council Sydney, NSW, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Schönenberg M, Christian S, Gaußer AK, Mayer SV, Hautzinger M, Jusyte A. Addressing perceptual insensitivity to facial affect in violent offenders: first evidence for the efficacy of a novel implicit training approach. Psychol Med 2014; 44:1043-1052. [PMID: 23809680 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291713001517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although impaired recognition of affective facial expressions has been conclusively linked to antisocial behavior, little is known about the modifiability of this deficit. This study investigated whether and under which circumstances the proposed perceptual insensitivity can be addressed with a brief implicit training approach. METHOD Facial affect recognition was assessed with an animated morph task, in which the participants (44 male incarcerated violent offenders and 43 matched controls) identified the onset of emotional expressions in animated morph clips that gradually changed from neutral to one of the six basic emotions. Half of the offenders were then implicitly trained to direct attention to salient face regions (attention training, AT) using a modified dot-probe task. The other half underwent the same protocol but the intensity level of the presented expressions was additionally manipulated over the course of training sessions (sensitivity to emotional expressions training, SEE training). Subsequently, participants were reassessed with the animated morph task. RESULTS Facial affect recognition was significantly impaired in violent offenders as compared with controls. Further, our results indicate that only the SEE training group exhibited a pronounced improvement in emotion recognition. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrated for the first time that perceptual insensitivity to facial affect can be addressed by an implicit training that directs attention to salient regions of a face and gradually decreases the intensity of the emotional expression. Future studies should focus on the potential of this intervention to effectively increase empathy and inhibit violent behavior in antisocial individuals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M Schönenberg
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Germany
| | - S Christian
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Germany
| | - A-K Gaußer
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Germany
| | - S V Mayer
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Germany
| | - M Hautzinger
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Germany
| | - A Jusyte
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Schönenberg M, Louis K, Mayer S, Jusyte A. Impaired identification of threat-related social information in male delinquents with antisocial personality disorder. J Pers Disord 2013; 27:496-505. [PMID: 23586931 DOI: 10.1521/pedi_2013_27_100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate the identification of threat-related facial expressions in aggressive individuals with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). Thirty-two male delinquents and matched healthy controls were presented with a series of animated morph-clips that gradually display the onset and development of angry, fearful, and happy facial expressions. ASPD subjects required significantly higher levels of emotional intensity to correctly identify the onset of an angry facial expression as compared to control participants. In contrast, recognition of fearful and happy expressions was unimpaired. These findings suggest a specific deficit in the identification of hostile facial expressions in ASPD populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Schönenberg
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Tübingen, Schleichstr. 4, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
19
|
Kret ME, de Gelder B. When a smile becomes a fist: the perception of facial and bodily expressions of emotion in violent offenders. Exp Brain Res 2013; 228:399-410. [PMID: 23828232 PMCID: PMC3710410 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-013-3557-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2013] [Accepted: 05/01/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Previous reports have suggested an enhancement of facial expression recognition in women as compared to men. It has also been suggested that men versus women have a greater attentional bias towards angry cues. Research has shown that facial expression recognition impairments and attentional biases towards anger are enhanced in violent criminal male offenders. Bodily expressions of anger form a more direct physical threat as compared to facial expressions. In four experiments, we tested how 29 imprisoned aggressive male offenders perceive body expressions by other males. The performance of all participants in a matching-to-sample task dropped significantly when the distracting image showed an angry posture. Violent offenders misjudged fearful body movements as expressing anger significantly more often than the control group. When violent offenders were asked to categorize facial expressions and ignore the simultaneously presented congruent or incongruent posture, they performed worse than the control group, specifically, when a smile was combined with an aggressive posture. Finally, violent offenders showed a greater congruency effect than controls when viewing postures as part of an emotionally congruent social scene and did not perform above chance when categorizing a happy posture presented in a fight scene. The results suggest that violent offenders have difficulties in processing emotional incongruence when aggressive stimuli are involved and a possible bias towards aggressive body language.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M. E. Kret
- Psychology Department, University of Amsterdam, Weesperplein 4, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - B. de Gelder
- Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre M-BIC, Maastricht University, Oxfordlaan 55, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Meier NM, Perrig W, Koenig T. Neurophysiological correlates of delinquent behaviour in adult subjects with ADHD. Int J Psychophysiol 2012; 84:1-16. [PMID: 22245445 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2011.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2011] [Revised: 11/07/2011] [Accepted: 12/31/2011] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
The attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) shows an increased prevalence in arrested offenders compared to the normal population. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether ADHD symptoms are a major risk factor for criminal behaviour, or whether further deficits, mainly abnormalities in emotion-processing, have to be considered as important additional factors that promote delinquency in the presence of ADHD symptomatology. Event related potentials (ERPs) of 13 non-delinquent and 13 delinquent subjects with ADHD and 13 controls were compared using a modified visual Go/Nogo continuous performance task (VCPT) and a newly developed version of the visual CPT that additionally requires emotional evaluation (ECPT). ERPs were analyzed regarding their topographies and Global Field Power (GFP). Offenders with ADHD differed from non-delinquent subjects with ADHD in the ERPs representing higher-order visual processing of objects and faces (N170) and facial affect (P200), and in late monitoring and evaluative functions (LPC) of behavioural response inhibition. Concerning neural activity thought to reflect the allocation of neural resources and cognitive processing capability (P300 Go), response inhibition (P300 Nogo), and attention/expectancy (CNV), deviances were observable in both ADHD groups and may thus be attributed to ADHD rather than to delinquency. In conclusion, ADHD symptomatology may be a risk factor for delinquency, since some neural information processing deficits found in ADHD seemed to be even more pronounced in offenders with ADHD. However, our results suggest additional risk factors consisting of deviant higher-order visual processing, especially of facial affect, as well as abnormalities in monitoring and evaluative functions of response inhibition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nadja M Meier
- Department of Psychology, Division of Experimental Psychology and Neuropsychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Das Gehirn in der Gruppe oder die Gruppe im Gehirn - Zur Neurobiologie des Mentalisierens in Gruppenpsychotherapien. GRUPPENPSYCHOTHERAPIE UND GRUPPENDYNAMIK 2011. [DOI: 10.13109/grup.2011.47.2.111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
|
22
|
Snyder PJ, Kaufman R, Harrison J, Maruff P. Charles Darwin's emotional expression "experiment" and his contribution to modern neuropharmacology. JOURNAL OF THE HISTORY OF THE NEUROSCIENCES 2010; 19:158-170. [PMID: 20446159 DOI: 10.1080/09647040903506679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
In the late 1860s and early 1870s, Darwin had corresponded with the French physician and physiologist, G. B. A. Duchenne, regarding Duchenne's experimental manipulation of human facial expression of emotion, by applying Galvanic electrical stimulation directly to facial muscles. Duchenne had produced a set of over 60 photographic plates to illustrate his view that there are different muscles in the human face that are separately responsible for each individual emotion. Darwin studied this material very carefully and he received permission from Duchenne in 1871 to reproduce several of these images in The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals (1872). Darwin had doubted Duchenne's view that there were individual muscle groups that mediate the expression of dozens of separable emotions, and he wondered whether there might instead be a fewer set of core emotions that are expressed with great stability worldwide and across cultures. Prompted by his doubts regarding the veracity of Duchenne's model, Darwin conducted what may have been the first-ever single-blind study of the recognition of human facial expression of emotion. This single experiment was a little-known forerunner for an entire modern field of study with contemporary clinical relevance. Moreover, his specific question about cross-cultural recognition of the cardinal emotions in faces is a topic that is being actively studied (in the twenty-first century) with the hope of developing novel biomarkers to aid the discovery of new therapies for the treatment of schizophrenia, autism, and other neuropsychiatric diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Snyder
- Lifespan Affiliated Hospitals & Department of Neurology, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|