Capacity for Cognitive and Emotional Empathy in Alcohol-Dependent Patients

in Psychology of Addictive Behaviors : Journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors (2012), 26(3), 371-383

This study assessed two previously unexplored facets of empathy in alcohol-dependent patients (ADs) divided into two groups according to Cloninger’s alcoholism typology: the attribution of intentions ... [more ▼]

This study assessed two previously unexplored facets of empathy in alcohol-dependent patients (ADs) divided into two groups according to Cloninger’s alcoholism typology: the attribution of intentions according to emotional facial expressions (EFEs) and emotional contagion in reaction to EFEs. Twenty-three male Type-I ADs, 21 male Type-II ADs, and 24 male control participants were compared in two computerized tasks. First, participants rated the extent to which an adjective descriptive of personality weighted on interpersonal dimensions (of rejection, aggressiveness, dominance, and affiliation) corresponded with a video of a neutral EFE that changed to an intense EFE. Second, participants evaluated their own emotional states after watching a series of videos that depicted EFEs while their own face was being filmed. The results showed that Type-I ADs attributed more rejection intentions and fewer affiliation intentions to EFEs compared with controls; however, depression might better explain this biased attribution. Furthermore, AD subtypes showed a different pattern of intention attribution according to the emotions that were portrayed and the sex of the stimulus. In addition, angry EFE mimicry was stronger in Type-II ADs than other participants. Finally, ADs expressed fewer positive emotions and more negative emotions than controls when watching EFEs. These findings emphasize the importance of differentiating alcoholism subtypes and contribute to the understanding of AD interpersonal behaviors. [less ▲]

Impact of an anxious social situation on emotional facial expressions (EFEs) recognition in children

in Revue Francophone de Clinique Comportementale et Cognitive (2012), 17(2), 2-9

This study addresses the relationship between the capacity of emotional facial expressions (EFEs) recognition and self-esteem in children placed in an anxious social situation. Seventy children (8 – 12 ... [more ▼]

This study addresses the relationship between the capacity of emotional facial expressions (EFEs) recognition and self-esteem in children placed in an anxious social situation. Seventy children (8 – 12 years) were placed in an anxious social situation of performance in which they were instructed to count aloud backwards, beginning at 200 in decrements of 13. After that, children were assessed on a decoding test of 16 photographs depicting EFE. For each photograph, they evaluated the presence of nine types of emotions. They also completed the Self-Perception Profile for Children (Pierrehumbert et al., 1987). No correlations emerged between the accuracy of EFE recognition and an increase of anxious feelings after the anxious social situation. However, self-esteem was correlated with performance on the EFE recognition test. Moreover, the lower the child’s level of self-esteem was, the more he/she perceived negative emotions in EFEs. In conclusion, social anxiety doesn’t seem to interfere with EFEs recognition performance in an anxious social situation. However, low level of self-esteem in children appears to be associated with deficits and interpretative bias in EFEs recognition in an anxious social situation. [less ▲]

Is there a link between an unstable identity and autobiographical memory in schizophrenia ?

Poster (2011, September)

Marital Satisfaction in Couples with an Alcoholic Husband

in Journal of Family Violence (2011), 26

Both members of 15 heterosexual couples with an alcoholic husband (AC) and of 15 matched couples with healthy members (HC) filled out first, the Marital Adjustment Test (Locke & Wallace, 1959), second ... [more ▼]

Both members of 15 heterosexual couples with an alcoholic husband (AC) and of 15 matched couples with healthy members (HC) filled out first, the Marital Adjustment Test (Locke & Wallace, 1959), second, the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory (Coopersmith, 1967), and finally, a questionnaire on emotional feeling state in which the participant had to evaluate his or her own emotions and the emotions experienced by his or her partner. Results showed that both AC members reported lower marital satisfaction and a lower level of self-esteem than HC members. Furthermore, they were less congruent with their partner regarding the evaluation of their partner’s emotional feeling states (EFS). These deficits could have repercussions on marital happiness, which itself would have repercussions on the alcoholic’s treatment. [less ▲]

Impact of an anxious social situation on emotional facial expressions (EFE) recognition in children

Poster (2010, June 04)

Socially anxious children have difficulties to interact adequately with others. The core characteristic of social anxiety, the fear of being negatively evaluated by others, may among others, be based on ... [more ▼]

Socially anxious children have difficulties to interact adequately with others. The core characteristic of social anxiety, the fear of being negatively evaluated by others, may among others, be based on problems with the decoding of other persons’ emotional facial expression (EFE). Up to now, the research on EFE recognition in socially anxious children has produced mixed results. Whereas some studies reported differences between anxious and healthy children in EFE recognition (e.g., Simonian, Beidel, Turner, Berkes, & Long, 2001), others didn’t find such differences (Melfsen & Florin, 2002). In this study, we addressed two new issues in the investigation of EFE recognition in socially anxious children. Firstly, we investigated self-esteem. Socially anxious children show low confidence in one’s cognitive and social abilities. Furthermore, high self-esteem is related to high capacities of EFE recognition (Garfield, Rogoff, & Steinberg, 1987), and more generally to high level of social functioning (Serretti et al., 1999 ; Shapira et al., 1999). Indeed, the perception of ourselves depends on the way we think others people perceive us. Secondly, past researches have investigated this issue in low anxious situations and thus, not in situations in which social anxious individuals feel threatened. The originality of the present study is that it addresses the relationship between EFE recognition performance and self-esteem in children placed in an anxious social situation. We predicted a low capacity to decode EFE in socially anxious children. Moreover, we hypothesised a relationship between a low self-esteem and difficulties to decode accurately EFE in an anxious social situation. Seventy children (8 – 12 years) were placed in an anxious social situation of performance in which they were instructed to count aloud backwards, beginning at 200 in increments of 13. Children assessed their emotional feeling state, including their degree of anxiety, before and after the anxious social situation. Furthermore, children were assessed on an EFE decoding test consisting of 16 photographs depicting EFE of happiness, anger, disgust, and sadness. For each photograph, they evaluated the presence of nine types of emotions on a 7-point Likert scale. They also completed the Self-Perception Profile for Children (Harter, 1985). No correlations emerged between the accuracy of EFE recognition and an increase of anxious feelings after the anxious social situation. However, self-esteem was correlated with performance on the EFE recognition test, r (70) = -.33, p < .01. Moreover, the lower the child’s level of self-esteem was, the more he/she perceived negative emotions (fear, anger, disgust, and shame) in EFE of anger. In conclusion, social anxiety doesn’t seem to interfere with EFE recognition performance in an anxious social situation. However, low level of self-esteem in children appears to be associated with deficits and interpretative bias in EFE recognition in an anxious social situation. The recognition of the expression of anger, an emotion socially threatening, seems particularly biased in children with low level of self-esteem. [less ▲]

Alcoolisme et attribution d’intentions interpersonnelles sur base d’expressions faciales émotionnelles : Etude pilote

in Revue Francophone de Clinique Comportementale et Cognitive (2010), 15(3), 1-7

The ability to understand the emotional states of others is necessary in order to develop high quality interpersonal relationships. Alcohol-dependents (AD) display interpretative errors when decoding ... [more ▼]

The ability to understand the emotional states of others is necessary in order to develop high quality interpersonal relationships. Alcohol-dependents (AD) display interpretative errors when decoding emotional facial expressions (EFE). EFE communicate information not only regarding emotional states but also regarding interpersonal intentions. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether, exposed to EFE, AD differ from healthy individuals in attributions of interpersonal intentions of dominance and affiliation. The purpose of dominance is to control the environment and the purpose of affiliation is to maintain the relationship with the object. In the present study, twenty AD and 20 healthy subjects attributed intentions of dominance and affiliation to 12 faces portraying joy, anger or sadness. Results revealed that AD differ from healthy individual in attribution of dominance but not of affiliation. AD make mistakes when decoding expressed emotions. The present study suggests that, compared to healthy subjects, they also tend to anticipate, in a biased way, interpersonal intentions. [less ▲]

Impact of an anxious social situation on emotional facial expressions (EFE) recognition in children.

Poster (2009, October 23)

The self-schema stability in schizophrenia

Poster (2009, September)

Objective: The present study investigated the stability of the self-schema in patients with schizophrenia. Method: Twenty five patients with schizophrenia were compared to twenty healthy subjects. The ... [more ▼]

Objective: The present study investigated the stability of the self-schema in patients with schizophrenia. Method: Twenty five patients with schizophrenia were compared to twenty healthy subjects. The participants completed a questionnaire to describe themselves (a short version of Label from Gendre, 2008) at time 1 and one month later (time 2). Two parallel versions of the questionnaire were employed. Each version contained fifty adjectives which corresponded to personality traits. A comparison between the two versions allowed to investigate the stability of the self-schema. A stability score was computed. Further, participants’ neuropsychological functioning as well as the severity of the symptomatology was measured. Results: Schizophrenia patients displayed a lower score of stability (m = 0,61 ; sd= 0,33) compared to healthy subjects (m = 0,84 ; sd = 0,13) (t(43) = 2.94 ; p = .005). The BDI score was correlated to stability score (r(45) = -.44 ; p = .002). Conclusion: In schizophrenia patients the representation of the self is changing over time. This result is in line with a previous one (Nienszanski, 2003). However, to ours knowledges, the present study is the first to objectively measure this changing. [less ▲]

Alcoolisme et attribution d’intentions interpersonnelles à partir d’expressions faciales émotionnelles

Poster (2008, November 29)