Can facial emotion recognition be rapidly improved in children with disruptive behavior? A targeted and preventative early intervention study

Hunnikin, Laura M., Wells, Aimee E., Ash, Daniel P. ORCID: 0000-0002-7486-2127 and van Goozen, Stephanie H. M. (2022) Can facial emotion recognition be rapidly improved in children with disruptive behavior? A targeted and preventative early intervention study. Development and Psychopathology, 34 (1). pp. 85-93. doi:10.1017/S0954579420001091

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Abstract

An impairment in recognizing distress is implicated in the development and severity of antisocial behavior. It has been hypothesized that a lack of attention to the eyes plays a role but supporting evidence is limited. We developed a computerized training to improve emotion recognition in children and examined the role of eye gaze before and after training. Children referred into an intervention program to prevent antisocial outcomes completed an emotion recognition task with concurrent eye tracking. Those with emotion recognition impairments (n = 54, mean age: 8.72 years, 78% male) completed the training, while others (n = 38, mean age: 8.95 years, 84% male) continued with their usual interventions. Emotion recognition and eye gaze were reassessed in all children 8 weeks later. Impaired negative emotion recognition was significantly related to severity of behavioral problems at pre-test. Children who completed the training significantly improved in emotion recognition; eye gaze did not contribute to impairment or improvement in emotion recognition. This study confirms the role of emotion recognition in severity of disruptive behavior and shows that a targeted intervention can quickly improve emotion impairments. The training works by improving children’s ability to appraise emotional stimuli rather than by influencing their visual attention.

Item Type:	Article
Article Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Emotion recognition; Eye gaze; Disruptive behaviour; Early intervention, Peer problems
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology. > HV6001 Criminology
Divisions:	Schools and Research Institutes > School of Education and Science
Research Priority Areas:	Society and Learning
Depositing User:	Daniel Ash
Date Deposited:	04 Nov 2021 14:16
Last Modified:	19 Mar 2024 15:45
URI:	https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/id/eprint/10324

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