Facial expression recognition accuracy of valence emotion among high and low indicated PTSD

Abstract

Introduction: Emotional experience of stressful event reflects itself in form of inability to start and maintain social contact, to cope with stress and sometimes distorted cognitive outages. Aim: To test hypothesis that facially expressed emotions were useful monitor in practice as mediator for understanding nature of emotionally difficulties of traumatized forty-two individuals are facing with. Primary task was assessed whether psychologically traumatized individuals differ in facial recognition accuracy, and secondary, accuracy positive versus negative emotions among two studied groups. Subject and methods: The total sample of participants were divided in two groups based on score results of DSM- IV Harvard Trauma Questionnaire, Bosnia and Herzegovina version which was expressed perception of their PTSD symptoms self- assessed used of the score results of DSM- IV Harvard Trauma Questionnaire– Bosnia and Herzegovina version (the experimental group with high indicative PTSD and control group without moderate PTSD). Accuracy of recognition of seven facially expressed emotions was investigated. The authors presented results of significantly lower (p<.05) recognition accuracy in experimental group for all studied emotions with exception of emotion of sadness. Also, recognition of negative emotions are more accurate (p<.05). These findings suggest that emotional stress leads to a less accurate recognition of facially expressed emotions especially positive valence emotions.