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Emotional Processing, Recognition, Empathy and Evoked Facial Expression in Eating Disorders: An Experimental Study to Map Deficits in Social Cognition.

Authors :
Valentina Cardi
Freya Corfield
Jenni Leppanen
Charlotte Rhind
Stephanie Deriziotis
Alexandra Hadjimichalis
Rebecca Hibbs
Nadia Micali
Janet Treasure
Source :
PLoS ONE, Vol 10, Iss 8, p e0133827 (2015)
Publication Year :
2015
Publisher :
Public Library of Science (PLoS), 2015.

Abstract

Difficulties in social cognition have been identified in eating disorders (EDs), but the exact profile of these abnormalities is unclear. The aim of this study is to examine distinct processes of social-cognition in this patient group, including attentional processing and recognition, empathic reaction and evoked facial expression in response to discrete vignettes of others displaying positive (i.e. happiness) or negative (i.e. sadness and anger) emotions.One hundred and thirty-eight female participants were included in the study: 73 healthy controls (HCs) and 65 individuals with an ED (49 with Anorexia Nervosa and 16 with Bulimia Nervosa). Self-report and behavioural measures were used.Participants with EDs did not display specific abnormalities in emotional processing, recognition and empathic response to others' basic discrete emotions. However, they had poorer facial expressivity and a tendency to turn away from emotional displays.Treatments focusing on the development of non-verbal emotional communication skills might be of benefit for patients with EDs.

Subjects

Subjects :
Medicine
Science

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
19326203
Volume :
10
Issue :
8
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
PLoS ONE
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.73e1e6b9b87f4c4dbf5e8f282b004f9b
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0133827