Assessing the effectiveness of online emotion recognition training in healthy volunteers

Zoe E Reed, Steph Suddell, Andy Eastwood, Lilian Thomas, Imogen Dwyer, Ian S Penton-Voak, Christopher Jarrold, Marcus R Munafo, Angela S Attwood

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle (Academic Journal)peer-review

Abstract

Facial emotion recognition (ER) difficulties are associated with mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions, including autism and poorer social functioning. ER interventions may therefore have clinical potential. We investigated the efficacy of ER training (ERT). We conducted three online studies with healthy volunteers completing one ERT session. Studies 1 and 2 included active and control/sham training groups and tested the efficacy of (i) four-emotion ERT (angry, happy, sad and scared) (n = 101), and (ii) six-emotion ERT (adding disgusted and surprised) (n = 109). Study 3 tested generalizability of ERT to non-trained stimuli with groups trained and tested on the same stimuli, or different stimuli (n = 120). Training effects on total correct hits were estimated using linear mixed effects models. We did not observe clear evidence of improvement in study 1 but note the effect was in the direction of improvement (b = 0.02, 95% confidence interval (CI) = −0.02 to 0.07). Study 2 indicated greater total hits following training (b = 0.07, 95% CI = 0.03–0.12). Study 3 demonstrated similar improvement across groups (b = −0.01, 95% CI = −0.05 to 0.02). Our results indicate improved ER (as measured by our task), which generalizes to different facial stimulus sets. Future studies should further explore generalizability, longer-term effects and ERT in populations with known ER difficulties.
Original languageEnglish
Article number230372
JournalRoyal Society Open Science
Volume10
Issue number9
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 27 Sept 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was supported in part by the UK Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol (grant no. MC_UU_00011/7). Z.E.R. was supported by the Elizabeth Blackwell Institute for Health Research, University of Bristol and the Wellcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Fund (grant no. 204813/Z/16/Z). S.S., I.S.P.-V. and M.R.M. are supported by the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Bristol (grant no. BRC-1215-20011). This study was also supported by the University of Bristol School of Psychological Science Research Committee. Acknowledgements

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Authors.

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