Misrecognition of facial expressions in delinquents

Sato, W., Uono, S., Matsuura, N., & Toichi, M.

非行少年において表情認識に障害があることが報告されているが，その詳細は不明である．本研究では，少年院に入所している男性非行少年群24名および年齢・性別統制群24名を対象として，この問題を検討した．基本6感情（怒り・嫌悪・恐怖・幸福・悲しみ・驚き）の表情写真に対する言語ラベリングの選択課題を実施した．正答率の分析の結果，非行少年群において，統制群よりも嫌悪の表情の認識成績が低いことが示された．エラー率の分析の結果，非行少年群は，統制群に比べて嫌悪表情を怒りと誤認識しやすいことが示された．本研究の結果から，非行少年における対人相互作用の問題の基盤に，他者の表情をうまく認識できない――嫌悪の表情をより敵意の強い怒りと読み取ってしまう――心理過程があることが示唆される．

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 3, 27

Previous reports have suggested impairment in facial expression recognition in delinquents. However, controversy remains with respect to how such recognition is impaired. To address this issue, we investigated facial expression recognition in delinquents in detail. We tested 24 male adolescent/young adult delinquents incarcerated in correctional facilities. We compared their performances with those of 24 age- and gender-matched control participants. Using standard photographs of facial expressions illustrating six basic emotions, participants matched each emotional facial expression with an appropriate verbal label. Delinquents were less accurate in the recognition of facial expressions that conveyed disgust than were control participants. The delinquents misrecognized the facial expressions of disgust as anger more frequently than did controls. These results suggest that one of the underpinnings of the delinquency might be impaired recognition of emotional facial expressions, with a specific bias toward interpreting disgusted expressions as hostile angry expressions.

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