Nonverbal Behavior and Psychopathology

Abstract

Contemporary conceptualizations of emotion all include reference to nonverbal behaviors, particularly facial expressions, as integral to emotional responding. Emotion disturbances figure prominently in many different forms of psychopathology. To date, little research has been conducted on understanding how nonverbal behaviors outside the context of emotion may be related to the symptoms, etiology, or course of different psychological disorders. Thus, this chapter focuses on the methods, complexities, and promises of studying emotional behavior in different forms of adult psychopathology. The chapter also discusses different approaches to studying emotion and nonverbal behavior in psychopathology by presenting a cross-section of these methods while highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of each approach. The assessment of nonverbal and emotional behaviors can be beneficial to furthering our understanding of the symptoms, course, and treatment of psychopathology.