Facial Emotion Recognition in Schizophrenia: Intensity Effects and Error Pattern

• DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.160.10.1768
• Publication Date: 2003-09-26T21:41:55Z
• Authors: Christian G. Kohler; Travis H. Turner; Warren B. Bilker; Colleen M. Brensi...; Steven J. Siegel; Stephen J. Kanes; Raquel E. Gur; Ruben C. Gur
• Keywords: Disgust; Emotional expression; Intensity

The authors used color photographs of emotional and neutral expressions to investigate recognition patterns five universal emotions in schizophrenia.Twenty-eight stable outpatients with schizophrenia (19 men nine women) 61 healthy subjects (29 32 completed an emotion discrimination test that presented mild extreme intensities happy, sad, angry, fearful, disgusted, faces, balanced for gender ethnicity. Analyses evaluated accuracy identifying as a function intensity, diagnosis, poser rater.Patients performed worse than comparison on all faces combined, including expressions. For specific emotions, patients except disgust, intensity was better intensity. However, showed less benefit from increased the difference most pronounced fear. Thus, were more impaired high-intensity expressions, even though this easier task low-intensity In errors, differed only misattributions expressions; overattributed disgusted underattributed happy expressions.Patients overall recognition, particularly fear did not Error indicate misidentified cues negatively valenced.