1
|
Aydın O, Tvrtkovic S, Çakıroğlu E, Ünal-Aydın P, Esen-Danacı A. The effect of emotion recognition and mindfulness on depression symptoms: A case-control study. Scand J Psychol 2024; 65:433-442. [PMID: 38124382 DOI: 10.1111/sjop.12992] [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] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Abnormalities in emotion recognition (ER) are frequently reported in depression, with lower recognition accuracy in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) when compared to healthy individuals. Mindfulness was found to directly impact the severity of depressive symptoms, by recognizing negative cognitions and dysfunctional reactions. The aims of this study were to compare ER and mindfulness levels between MDD patients and healthy controls (HCs), as well as to examine whether ER and mindfulness are related to symptom severity in MDD patients. Sixty-eight patients with MDD and 93 HCs participated in the study. A sociodemographic form, reading the mind in the eyes test (RMET), five facet mindfulness questionnaire-short form (FFMQ-S) and the Montgomery-Asberg depression scale (MADRS) were administered. Group comparison in ER and mindfulness was performed using the multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). Bivariate correlations and hierarchical linear regression analyses were performed to assess the associations between depression severity, ER and mindfulness in the patient group. Higher level of mindfulness was found in HCs relative to MDD group, however, no ER difference was present between the groups. A positive association between depression severity and the non-reactivity facet of mindfulness was found. On the other hand, ER was not significantly associated with symptom severity among individuals with MDD. Non-reactivity, unlike other dimensions of mindfulness, seems to increase with the severity of depressive symptoms among MDD patients. A particular focus on this subdimension in mindfulness techniques may yield better outcomes in alleviation of depressive symptoms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Orkun Aydın
- International University of Sarajevo, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Department of Psychology, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Selma Tvrtkovic
- International University of Sarajevo, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Department of Psychology, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Elif Çakıroğlu
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Celal Bayar University, Manisa, Turkey
| | - Pınar Ünal-Aydın
- International University of Sarajevo, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Department of Psychology, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Ayşen Esen-Danacı
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Celal Bayar University, Manisa, Turkey
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Burke T, Holleran L, Mothersill D, Lyons J, O'Rourke N, Gleeson C, Cannon DM, McKernan DP, Morris DW, Kelly JP, Hallahan B, McDonald C, Donohoe G. Bilateral anterior corona radiata microstructure organisation relates to impaired social cognition in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2023; 262:87-94. [PMID: 37931564 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2023.10.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The Corona Radiata (CR) is a large white matter tract in the brain comprising of the anterior CR (aCR), superior CR (sCR), and posterior CR (pCR), which have associations with cognition, self-regulation, and, in schizophrenia, positive symptom severity. This study tested the hypothesis that the microstructural organisation of the aCR, as measured by Fractional Anisotropy (FA) using Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI), would relate to poorer social cognitive outcomes and higher positive symptom severity for people with schizophrenia, when compared to healthy participants. We further hypothesised that increased positive symptoms would relate to poorer social cognitive outcomes. METHODS Data were derived from n = 178 healthy participants (41 % females; 36.11 ± 12.36 years) and 58 people with schizophrenia (30 % females; 42.4 ± 11.1 years). The Positive and Negative Symptom Severity Scale measured clinical symptom severity. Social Cognition was measured using the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) Total Score, as well as the Positive, Neutral, and Negative stimuli valence. The ENIGMA-DTI protocol tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) was used. RESULTS There was a significant difference in FA for the CR, in individuals with schizophrenia compared to healthy participants. On stratification, both the aCR and pCR were significantly different between groups, with patients showing reduced white matter tract microstructural organisation. Significant negative correlations were observed between positive symptomatology and reduced microstructural organisation of the aCR. Performance for RMET negative valence items was significantly correlated bilaterally with the aCR, but not the sCR or pCR, and no relationship to positive symptoms was observed. CONCLUSIONS These data highlight specific and significant microstructural white-matter differences for people with schizophrenia, which relates to positive clinical symptomology and poorer performance on social cognition stimuli. While reduced FA is associated with higher positive symptomatology in schizophrenia, this study shows the specific associated with anterior frontal white matter tracts and reduced social cognitive performance. The aCR may have a specific role to play in frontal-disconnection syndromes, psychosis, and social cognitive profile within schizophrenia, though further research requires more sensitive, specific, and detailed consideration of social cognition outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tom Burke
- School of Psychology, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland; Center for Neuroimaging Cognition and Genomics, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Laurena Holleran
- School of Psychology, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland; Center for Neuroimaging Cognition and Genomics, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - David Mothersill
- School of Psychology, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland; Center for Neuroimaging Cognition and Genomics, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland; Psychology Department, School of Business, National College of, Ireland
| | - James Lyons
- School of Psychology, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland; Center for Neuroimaging Cognition and Genomics, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Nathan O'Rourke
- School of Psychology, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland; Center for Neuroimaging Cognition and Genomics, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Christina Gleeson
- School of Psychology, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland; Center for Neuroimaging Cognition and Genomics, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Dara M Cannon
- Center for Neuroimaging Cognition and Genomics, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland; Clinical Neuroimaging Laboratory, Galway Neuroscience Centre, College of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Declan P McKernan
- Pharmacology & Therapeutics and Galway Neuroscience Centre, National University of Ireland Galway, H91 W5P7 Galway, Ireland
| | - Derek W Morris
- Center for Neuroimaging Cognition and Genomics, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - John P Kelly
- Pharmacology & Therapeutics and Galway Neuroscience Centre, National University of Ireland Galway, H91 W5P7 Galway, Ireland
| | - Brian Hallahan
- Center for Neuroimaging Cognition and Genomics, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Science Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, H91 TK33 Galway, Ireland
| | - Colm McDonald
- Center for Neuroimaging Cognition and Genomics, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Science Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, H91 TK33 Galway, Ireland
| | - Gary Donohoe
- School of Psychology, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland; Center for Neuroimaging Cognition and Genomics, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Grainger SA, McKay KT, Riches JC, Chander RJ, Cleary R, Mather KA, Kochan NA, Sachdev PS, Henry JD. Measuring Empathy Across the Adult Lifespan: A Comparison of Three Assessment Types. Assessment 2023; 30:1870-1883. [PMID: 36210740 DOI: 10.1177/10731911221127902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Empathy is a core component of social cognition that can be indexed via behavioral, informant-report, or self-report methods of assessment. However, concerns have been raised regarding the lack of convergence between these assessment approaches for cognitive empathy. Here, we provided the first comparison of all three measurement approaches for cognitive and affective empathy in a large adult sample (N = 371) aged 18 to 101 years. We found that poor convergence was more of a problem for cognitive empathy than affective empathy. While none of the cognitive empathy measures correlated with each other, for affective empathy, self-report was significantly associated with both behavioral and informant-report assessments. However, for both cognitive and affective empathy, there was evidence for poor discriminant validity within the measures. Out of the three assessment approaches, only the informant-report measures were consistently associated with indices of social functioning. Importantly, age did not moderate any of the tested relationships, indicating that both the strengths and the limitations of these different types of assessment do not appear to vary as a function of age. These findings highlight the variation that exists among empathy measures and are discussed in relation to their practical implications for the assessment of empathy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Kate T McKay
- The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Australia
| | | | | | - Rhiagh Cleary
- The University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Karen A Mather
- The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - Perminder S Sachdev
- The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- Neuropsychiatric Institute, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Julie D Henry
- The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Ekerim-Akbulut M, Selcuk B. Favoring Inequalities and Mind-Reading: Social Dominance Orientation Relates to Poor Mentalizing. Psychol Rep 2023:332941231173877. [PMID: 37478167 DOI: 10.1177/00332941231173877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
Although studies have so far investigated social dominance orientation (SDO) in relation to its association with prejudice and discrimination toward outgroups, it is not known whether SDO's link with poor intergroup relations might be underlined by specific socio-cognitive factors such as reduced mind-reading motivation (MRM) and poor mind-reading performance. The present study tested whether endorsement of SDO is associated with decreased MRM and mind-reading accuracy toward both ingroup and outgroup targets. We randomly assigned one hundred and 20 Turkish university students (Mage = 22.02) into two target groups for mind-reading, Turkish ingroup (N = 60) and Syrian outgroup (N = 60), and asked them to infer minds of either ingroup or outgroup members depending on their target group. Participants also reported their level of MRM and SDO through questionnaires. When the target was a Turkish ingroup member, SDO negatively and directly predicted mind-reading, when the target was an outgroup member, however, higher SDO indirectly predicted lower mind-reading through reduced MRM. These results pointed that favoring intergroup hierarchies relates to poor understanding of others' mental states although the mechanism of the relation changes depending on the group membership of the target.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Bilge Selcuk
- Department of Psychology, MEF University, Istanbul, Turkey
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Gehlbach H, Mu N. How We Understand Others: A Theory of How Social Perspective Taking Unfolds. REVIEW OF GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY 2023. [DOI: 10.1177/10892680231152595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Social perspective taking—the process through which perceivers discern the thoughts, feelings, and motivations of a target—is foundational for navigating social interactions, building relationships, maintaining mental health, promoting well-being, and a wide array of other desired outcomes. Despite its importance, little is known about how discrete social perspective taking attempts unfold. We propose a theory that the social perspective taking process consists of up to four distinguishable phases: perception of the target, motivation to engage in social perspective taking, strategy selection, and evaluation of the attempt. Scholars have emphasized two proximal outcomes of this process—social perspective taking effort and accuracy. We review the literature in support of these phases, noting the relative maturity of each area of research. In doing so, we hope this theory provides a framework for contextualizing how existing studies relate to one another across different subfields of psychology, facilitates testable predictions, prioritizes future investigations, and guides applied research designed to improve real-world social perspective taking.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hunter Gehlbach
- Johns Hopkins University School of Education, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Nan Mu
- Johns Hopkins University School of Education, Baltimore, MD, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Kelly Grealy M, Godfrey E, Brady F, Whyte O’Sullivan E, Carroll GA, Burke T. Borderline personality disorder traits and mentalising ability: The self-other social cognition paradox. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:1023348. [PMID: 36339858 PMCID: PMC9631768 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1023348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a psychiatric condition characterised by a pervasive pattern of impulsivity, low self-image, and interpersonal conflicts. Previous findings indicate a mixed relationship between BPD and social cognition; little research as investigated whether BPD traits influence performance on specific elements of social cognitive tasks, i.e., positive/negative valence. Method Community-based typical controls (n = 151; 51% female) were recruited through an online survey. Participants completed aspects of the Personality Assessment Inventory pertaining to BPD traits, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, and measures of both emotion recognition and mentalising. Results Following group stratification into high/low BPD traits, participants with high BPD traits were observed to perform significantly better when identifying negative valence stimuli. Furthermore, high levels of affect instability was found to significantly influence negative valence recognition. Conclusion This research highlights previous research which shows a paradox between higher performance on measures of social cognition, with a group of individuals who report significant interpersonal and relational difficulties. This research supports the assessment of social cognitive processes for people with BPD and/or high BPD traits to support clinical formulation of strengths and difficulties.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Molly Kelly Grealy
- School of Psychology, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Emmet Godfrey
- School of Psychology, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Finn Brady
- School of Psychology, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | | | - Grace A. Carroll
- School of Psychology, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Tom Burke
- School of Psychology, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
- Galway Neuroscience Centre, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Merritt SH, Krouse M, Alogaily RS, Zak PJ. Continuous Neurophysiologic Data Accurately Predict Mood and Energy in the Elderly. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12091240. [PMID: 36138976 PMCID: PMC9497070 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12091240] [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: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The elderly have an elevated risk of clinical depression because of isolation from family and friends and a reticence to report their emotional states. The present study explored whether data from a commercial neuroscience platform could predict low mood and low energy in members of a retirement community. Neurophysiologic data were collected continuously for three weeks at 1Hz and averaged into hourly and daily measures, while mood and energy were captured with self-reports. Two neurophysiologic measures averaged over a day predicted low mood and low energy with 68% and 75% accuracy. Principal components analysis showed that neurologic variables were statistically associated with mood and energy two days in advance. Applying machine learning to hourly data classified low mood and low energy with 99% and 98% accuracy. Two-day lagged hourly neurophysiologic data predicted low mood and low energy with 98% and 96% accuracy. This study demonstrates that continuous measurement of neurophysiologic variables may be an effective way to reduce the incidence of mood disorders in vulnerable people by identifying when interventions are needed.
Collapse
|
8
|
Corpus Callosum Microstructural Tract Integrity Relates to Longer Emotion Recognition Reaction Time in People with Schizophrenia. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12091208. [PMID: 36138944 PMCID: PMC9496923 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12091208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: Schizophrenia is a complex functionally debilitating neurodevelopmental disorder, with associated social cognitive impairment. Corpus Callosum (CC) white matter tracts deficits are reported for people with schizophrenia; however, few studies focus on interhemispheric processing relative to social cognition tasks. This study aimed to determine if a relationship between the CC and social cognition exists. Method: In this cross-section study, a sample of n = 178 typical controls and n = 58 people with schizophrenia completed measures of mentalising (Reading the Mind in the Eyes), emotion recognition outcome and reaction time (Emotion Recognition Test), and clinical symptoms (Positive and Negative Symptom Scale), alongside diffusion-based tract imaging. The CC and its subregions, i.e., the genu, body, and splenium were the regions of interest (ROI). Results: Reduced white matter tract integrity was observed in the CC for patients when compared to controls. Patients performed slower, and less accurately on emotion recognition tasks, which significantly and negatively correlated to the structural integrity of the CC genu. Tract integrity further significantly and negatively related to clinical symptomatology. Conclusions: People with schizophrenia have altered white matter integrity in the genu of the CC, compared to controls, which relates to cognitive deficits associated with recognising emotional stimuli accurately and quickly, and severity of clinical symptoms.
Collapse
|
9
|
Baliyan S, Cimadevilla JM, Bustillos A, Escamilla JC, Leiman M, Sandi C, Venero C. Cultural Adaptation, Validation, and Psychometric Description of the Pictorial Empathy Test (PET) in the Spanish Population. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1027/1015-5759/a000690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Abstract. Research in psychology and social neuroscience distinguishes between dispositional and situational empathy for the cognitive and affective aspects of empathy. Yet, the Pictorial Empathy Test (PET) is one of the few brief tests focusing on situational affective empathy. This paper describes the adaptation of PET in a two-stage process, consisting of instrument translation and exploratory analysis of the construct in a university student sample, followed by confirmatory factor analysis and psychometric validation in a general population sample (Study 1, N = 79 and Study 2, N = 580). Our results indicate that the Spanish PET version constitutes a single factor structure with high internal consistency as well as high construct stability across genders and across in-person and online test administration setups. We report satisfactory convergent, discriminant, and nomological validity of the Spanish PET, as reported for the original version, in addition to when explored across new dimensions, like the Interpersonal Reactivity Index or in relation to age and prosocial tendencies. Based on the above, we discuss delineation of the distinct components of emotional empathy as measured by the instrument. The work presented supports the use of the Spanish PET version as a brief screening tool for state affective (emotional) empathy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shishir Baliyan
- Department of Psychobiology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Antonio Bustillos
- Department of Social and Organizational Psychology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Marina Leiman
- Department of Psychology, University of Almeria, Spain
| | - Carmen Sandi
- Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Cesar Venero
- Department of Psychobiology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Bukowski H, Ahmad Kamal NF, Bennett D, Rizzo G, O'Tuathaigh C. Association between dispositional empathy and self-other distinction in Irish and Belgian medical students: a cross-sectional analysis. BMJ Open 2021; 11:e048597. [PMID: 34521665 PMCID: PMC8442071 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-048597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Physicians' cognitive empathy is associated with improved diagnosis and better patient outcomes. The relationship between self-reported and performance-based measures of cognitive empathic processes is unclear. DESIGN Cross-sectional analysis of the association between medical students' empathy scale scores and their empathic performance in a visuospatial perspective-taking (VPT) task. PARTICIPANTS Undergraduate medical students across two European medical schools (n=194). PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES Two self-report empathy and one performance-based perspective-taking outcome: Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE); Empathy Quotient (EQ); Samson's level-1 VPT task. RESULTS Higher scores on the 'standing in patient's shoes' subscale of the JSPE were associated with a lower congruency effect (as well as lower egocentric and altercentric biases) in the VPT (B=-0.007, 95% CI=-0.013 to 0.002, p<0.05), which reflects an association with better capacity to manage conflicting self-other perspectives, also known as self-other distinction. Lower egocentric bias was also associated with higher scores on the 'social skills' EQ subscale (B=-10.17, 95% CI=-17.98 to 2.36, p<0.05). Additionally, selection of a 'technique-oriented' clinical specialty preference was associated with a higher self-perspective advantage in the VPT, reflecting greater attentional priority given to the self-perspective. CONCLUSIONS We show that self-assessment scores are associated with selected performance-based indices of perspective taking, providing a more fine-grained analysis of the cognitive domain of empathy assessed in medical student empathy scales. This analysis allows us to generate new critical hypotheses about the reasons why only certain self-report empathy measures (or their subscales) are associated with physicians' observed empathic ability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Henryk Bukowski
- Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Universite catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Walloon Brabant, Belgium
| | | | - Deirdre Bennett
- Medical Education Unit, School of Medicine, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Gabriella Rizzo
- Department of Medicine, Cork University Hospital, Cork, Ireland
| | - Colm O'Tuathaigh
- Medical Education Unit, School of Medicine, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Israelashvili J, Perry A. Nuancing Perspective. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1027/1864-9335/a000452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Abstract. Two experiments manipulated participants’ familiarity with another person and examined their performance in future understanding of that person’s emotions. To gain familiarity, participants watched several videos of the target sharing experiences and rated her emotions. In the Feedback condition, perceivers learned about the actual emotions the target felt. In the Control condition, perceivers completed identical recognition tasks but did not know the target’s own emotion ratings. Studies ( Ntotal = 398; one preregistered) found that the Feedback group was more accurate than the Control in future understanding of the target’s emotions. Results provide a proof-of-concept demonstration that brief preliminary learning about past emotional experiences of another person can give one a more accurate understanding of the person in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Anat Perry
- Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Israelashvili J, Pauw LS, Sauter DA, Fischer AH. Emotion Recognition from Realistic Dynamic Emotional Expressions Cohere with Established Emotion Recognition Tests: A Proof-of-Concept Validation of the Emotional Accuracy Test. J Intell 2021; 9:25. [PMID: 34067013 PMCID: PMC8162550 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence9020025] [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: 12/06/2020] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Individual differences in understanding other people's emotions have typically been studied with recognition tests using prototypical emotional expressions. These tests have been criticized for the use of posed, prototypical displays, raising the question of whether such tests tell us anything about the ability to understand spontaneous, non-prototypical emotional expressions. Here, we employ the Emotional Accuracy Test (EAT), which uses natural emotional expressions and defines the recognition as the match between the emotion ratings of a target and a perceiver. In two preregistered studies (Ntotal = 231), we compared the performance on the EAT with two well-established tests of emotion recognition ability: the Geneva Emotion Recognition Test (GERT) and the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET). We found significant overlap (r > 0.20) between individuals' performance in recognizing spontaneous emotions in naturalistic settings (EAT) and posed (or enacted) non-verbal measures of emotion recognition (GERT, RMET), even when controlling for individual differences in verbal IQ. On average, however, participants reported enjoying the EAT more than the other tasks. Thus, the current research provides a proof-of-concept validation of the EAT as a useful measure for testing the understanding of others' emotions, a crucial feature of emotional intelligence. Further, our findings indicate that emotion recognition tests using prototypical expressions are valid proxies for measuring the understanding of others' emotions in more realistic everyday contexts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Israelashvili
- Psychology Department, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190501, Israel
| | - Lisanne S. Pauw
- Department of Psychology, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany;
| | - Disa A. Sauter
- Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, 1001 NK Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (D.A.S.); (A.H.F.)
| | - Agneta H. Fischer
- Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, 1001 NK Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (D.A.S.); (A.H.F.)
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Breil C, Böckler A. Look away to listen: the interplay of emotional context and eye contact in video conversations. VISUAL COGNITION 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/13506285.2021.1908470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christina Breil
- Department of Psychology, Leibniz-University Hanover, Hanover, Germany
| | - Anne Böckler
- Department of Psychology, Leibniz-University Hanover, Hanover, Germany
- Max-Planck-Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Science, Leipzig, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Shamay-Tsoory SG, Levy-Gigi E. You Name It: Interpersonal Affect Labeling Diminishes Distress in Romantic Couples. Behav Ther 2021; 52:455-464. [PMID: 33622513 DOI: 10.1016/j.beth.2020.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Revised: 04/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Although it is increasingly acknowledged that social interactions may provide support at times of adversity, whether or how such interactions can buffer distress remains unclear. The objective of the present study was to examine whether naming the emotions of our partner in aversive situations can effectively reduce distress and whether the regulator's empathy contributes to its effectiveness. We utilized a novel performance-based interpersonal affect labeling (IAL) paradigm. Seventy-four romantic couples were randomly divided into targets and regulators. The targets watched aversive pictures with low and high intensity and rated their level of distress after: (1) simply viewing the picture (control trials) (2) choosing a label that describes their emotional reaction (self-labeling trials), (3) viewing a label chosen for them by the regulator, their partner (IAL trials). It was found that IAL significantly reduced distress compared to self-labeling. Moreover, the effectiveness of IAL increased as a function of the regulator's level of empathy. The results highlight the importance of empathy in social support and suggest that as simple an action as naming our partner's emotions may be effective in reducing their distress. Moreover, it emphasizes the potential contribution of nonprofessional help in emotion regulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Einat Levy-Gigi
- School of Education and Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Trilla I, Weigand A, Dziobek I. Affective states influence emotion perception: evidence for emotional egocentricity. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2020; 85:1005-1015. [PMID: 32206856 PMCID: PMC8049894 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-020-01314-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Research in social cognition has shown that our own emotional experiences are an important source of information to understand what other people are feeling. The current study investigated whether individuals project their own affective states when reading other's emotional expressions. We used brief autobiographical recall and audiovisual stimuli to induce happy, neutral and sad transient states. After each emotion induction, participants made emotion judgments about ambiguous faces displaying a mixture of happiness and sadness. Using an adaptive psychophysics procedure, we estimated the tendency to perceive the faces as happy under each of the induced affective states. Results demonstrate the occurrence of egocentric projections, such that faces were more likely judged as happy when participants reported being happy as compared to when they were sad. Moreover, the degree of emotional egocentricity was associated with individual differences in perspective-taking, with smaller biases being observed in individuals with higher disposition to take the perspective of others. Our findings extend previous literature on emotional egocentricity by showing that self-projection occurs when we make emotion attributions based on the other's emotional expressions, and supports the notion that perspective-taking tendencies play a role in the ability to understand the other's affective states.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Irene Trilla
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10099, Berlin, Germany. .,Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10099, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Anne Weigand
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10099, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10099, Berlin, Germany
| | - Isabel Dziobek
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10099, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10099, Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Israelashvili J, Sauter DA, Fischer AH. Different faces of empathy: Feelings of similarity disrupt recognition of negative emotions. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2020; 87:103912. [PMID: 32127724 PMCID: PMC7001982 DOI: 10.1016/j.jesp.2019.103912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Revised: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Empathizing with others is widely presumed to increase our understanding of their emotions. Little is known, however, about which empathic process actually help people recognize others' feelings more accurately. Here, we probed the relationship between emotion recognition and two empathic processes: spontaneously felt similarity (having had a similar experience) and deliberate perspective taking (focus on the other vs. oneself). We report four studies in which participants (total N = 803) watched videos of targets sharing genuine negative emotional experiences. Participants' multi-scalar ratings of the targets' emotions were compared with the targets' own emotion ratings. In Study 1 we found that having had a similar experience to what the target was sharing was associated with lower recognition of the target's emotions. Study 2 replicated the same pattern and in addition showed that making participants' own imagined reaction to the described event salient resulted in further reduced accuracy. Studies 3 and 4 were preregistered replications and extensions of Studies 1 and 2, in which we observed the same outcome using a different stimulus set, indicating the robustness of the finding. Moreover, Study 4 directly investigated the underlying mechanism of the observed effect. Findings showed that perceivers who have had a negative life experience similar to the emotional event described in the video felt greater personal distress after watching the video, which in part explained their reduced accuracy. These results provide the first demonstration that spontaneous empathy, evoked by similarity in negative experiences, may inhibit rather than increase our understanding of others' emotions.
Collapse
|
17
|
Israelashvili J, Sauter D, Fischer A. Two facets of affective empathy: concern and distress have opposite relationships to emotion recognition. Cogn Emot 2020; 34:1112-1122. [DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2020.1724893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Israelashvili
- Department of Social Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Disa Sauter
- Department of Social Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Agneta Fischer
- Department of Social Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|