The role of the body in altered facial emotion perception in autism and social anxiety

IF 4.3 2区心理学 Q1 PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL

Behaviour Research and Therapy Pub Date : 2025-10-01 Epub Date: 2025-07-11 DOI:10.1016/j.brat.2025.104819

Julia Folz , Kristina Nikić , Milica Nikolić , Vivien Janowicz , Katja Koelkebeck , Mariska E. Kret

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Alterations in the perception of facial emotional expression and their physiological resonance, as well as in accurately sensing bodily states (i.e., interoception) have been reported in both autism and social anxiety. In the current study, we aimed to examine the association between physiological responses, their sensation, and facial emotion perception in individuals on the autism spectrum (N = 40), individuals with social anxiety (N = 27) and neurotypical controls (N = 40). Participants first viewed videos of spontaneous facial expressions (anger, happiness, sadness, fear and neutral) while facial muscle responses (corrugator supercilii and zygomaticus major), indicating facial mimicry, and skin conductance, indicating emotional arousal, were recorded. In a separate task, the same expressions were judged regarding their emotion category, the confidence in the accuracy of this judgment, and the intensity of the observed emotional experience. Compared to controls, individuals with social anxiety showed a stronger link between physiological arousal and the perceived intensity of sadness. Individuals on the autism spectrum showed a relatively weaker link between the mimicry of anger and the intensity at which this expression was perceived. Differences in self-reported interoceptive accuracy also played a role in the latter link, suggesting alterations in integrating embodied emotions in autism.

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身体在自闭症和社交焦虑患者面部情绪感知改变中的作用

据报道，自闭症和社交焦虑患者对面部情绪表达的感知及其生理共振，以及对身体状态的准确感知（即内感受）都发生了改变。在本研究中，我们旨在研究自闭症谱系个体（N = 40）、社交焦虑个体（N = 27）和神经正常对照组（N = 40）的生理反应、感觉和面部情绪知觉之间的关系。参与者首先观看自发面部表情（愤怒、快乐、悲伤、恐惧和中性）的视频，同时记录面部肌肉反应（波纹肌上纤毛和大颧肌），表明面部模仿，以及皮肤电导，表明情绪唤醒。在另一项单独的任务中，对同样的表情进行情绪类别的判断，对判断准确性的信心，以及观察到的情绪体验的强度。与对照组相比，患有社交焦虑的个体在生理唤醒和感知到的悲伤强度之间表现出更强的联系。自闭症谱系的个体表现出愤怒的模仿和这种表达被感知的强度之间相对较弱的联系。自我报告的内感受准确性的差异也在后一种联系中发挥了作用，这表明自闭症患者在整合具体情绪方面发生了变化。

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来源期刊

Behaviour Research and Therapy PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL-

CiteScore

7.50

自引率

7.30%

发文量

148

期刊介绍： The major focus of Behaviour Research and Therapy is an experimental psychopathology approach to understanding emotional and behavioral disorders and their prevention and treatment, using cognitive, behavioral, and psychophysiological (including neural) methods and models. This includes laboratory-based experimental studies with healthy, at risk and subclinical individuals that inform clinical application as well as studies with clinically severe samples. The following types of submissions are encouraged: theoretical reviews of mechanisms that contribute to psychopathology and that offer new treatment targets; tests of novel, mechanistically focused psychological interventions, especially ones that include theory-driven or experimentally-derived predictors, moderators and mediators; and innovations in dissemination and implementation of evidence-based practices into clinical practice in psychology and associated fields, especially those that target underlying mechanisms or focus on novel approaches to treatment delivery. In addition to traditional psychological disorders, the scope of the journal includes behavioural medicine (e.g., chronic pain). The journal will not consider manuscripts dealing primarily with measurement, psychometric analyses, and personality assessment.