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The effects of alexithymia in the recognition of dynamic emotional faces

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 March 2020

M. Rocha ,
S. Soares ,
S. Silva ,
N. Madeira  and
C. Silva
M. Rocha
Affiliation:
Center for Health Technology and Services Research CINTESIS-UA, Department of Education, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
S. Soares
Affiliation:
Center for Health Technology and Services Research CINTESIS-UA, Department of Education, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal Karolinska Institute, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Psychology, Solna, Sweden
S. Silva
Affiliation:
University of Aveiro, Department of Education, Aveiro, Portugal
N. Madeira*
Affiliation:
Coimbra Hospital and University Centre, Psychiatry, Coimbra, Portugal Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Psychological Medicine Department, Coimbra, Portugal
C. Silva
Affiliation:
Center for Health Technology and Services Research CINTESIS-UA, Department of Education, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Alexithymia is a multifactorial personality trait observed in several mental disorders, especially those with poor social functioning. Although it has been proposed that difficulties in interpersonal interactions in highly alexithymic individuals may stem from their reduced ability to express and recognize facial expressions, this still remains controversial.

Aim

In everyday life, faces displaying emotions are dynamic, although most studies have relied on static stimuli. The aim of this study was to investigate whether individuals with high levels of alexithymia differed from a control group in the categorization of emotional faces presented in a dynamic way. Given the highly dynamic nature of facial displays in real life, we used morphed videos depicting faces varying 1% from neutral to angry, disgust or happy faces, with a video presentation of 35 seconds.

Method

Sixty participants (27 males and 33 females) were divided into high (HA) and low levels of alexithymia (LA) by using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). Participants were instructed to watch the face change from neutral to an emotion and to press a keyboard as soon as they could categorize an emotion expressed in the face.

Results

The results revealed an interaction between alexithymia and emotion showing that HA, compared to LA, were more inaccurate at categorizing angry faces.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Type
EV344
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 33 , Issue S1: Abstracts of the 24th European Congress of Psychiatry , March 2016 , pp. S370 - S371
Copyright
Copyright © European Psychiatric Association 2016
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