TITLE:
A Study of Visual Recognition of Facial Emotional Expressions in a Normal Aging Population in the Absence of Cognitive Disorders
AUTHORS:
Philippe Granato, Shreekumar Vinekar, Olivier Godefroy, Jean-Pierre Vangansberghe, Raymond Bruyer
KEYWORDS:
Recognition, Emotions, M.A.R.I.E., Aging, Healthy Participants, Emotion Stimulus (ES), Emotion Set (ESet), Emotion Series (ESr), VRFEE, Emotion Recognition (ER), Canonical Emotions (CE), Intermediate Emotions (IE)
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Psychiatry,
Vol.4 No.3,
July
22,
2014
ABSTRACT: Objective: To examine and
measure the decision-making processes involved in Visual Recognition of Facial
Emotional Expressions (VRFEE) and to study the effects of demographic factors
on this process. Method: We evaluated a newly designed software application
(M.A.R.I.E.) that permits computerized metric measurement of VRFEE. We
administered it to 204 cognitively normal participants ranging in age from 20
to 70 years. Results: We established normative values for the recognition of
anger, disgust, joy, fear, surprise and sadness expressed on the faces of three
individuals. There was a significant difference in the: 1) measurement (F
(8.189) = 3896, p = 0.0001); 2) education level (x2(12) = 28.4, p = 0.005);
3) face (F(2.195) = 10, p = 0.0001); 4)series (F (8.189)=28, p = 0.0001); 5)
interaction between the identity and recognition of emotions (F (16, 181 =11, p
= 0.0001). However, performance did not differ according to: 1) age (F
(6.19669) = 1.35, p = 0.2) or 2) level of education (F (1, 1587) = 0.6, p = 0.4).
Conclusions: In healthy participants, the VRFEE remains stable throughout the
lifespan when cognitive functions remain optimal. Disgust, sadness, fear, and
joy seem to be the four most easily recognized facial emotions, while anger and
surprise are not easily recognized. Visual recognition of disgust and fear is
independent of aging. The characteristics of a face have a significant
influence on the ease with which people recognize expressed emotions
(idiosyncrasy). Perception and recognition of emotions is categorical, even
when the facial images are integrated in a spectrum of morphs reflecting two
different emotions on either side.