Development and validation of videotaped role plays of the six basic facial expressions of emotion

Abstract

Facial expressions of emotion are a cornerstone of appropriate social interaction. Current research shows that populations with different psychopathologies, such as schizophrenics, delinquents, seriously emotionally disturbed children, and the mentally retarded, are deficient in their ability to accurately recognize facial expressions of emotion in others during interpersonal interaction. Individuals with such deficits need social skills training specifically in this area if they are to function successfully in the community. This paper reports the development and validation of a series of role plays of the six basic facial expressions of emotion that can be used for initial and posttraining assessments, or as generalization probes during assessment and training if another modality is used for presenting the facial expressions.