Right brain damage and the verbal expression of emotion: A preliminary investigation

Abstract

Background: Emotional expression or evaluation is intrinsically involved in all communication. In discourse, it has the function of expressing the speaker's opinions, building rapport with the listener, and providing a discourse framework. Emotion may be expressed verbally (lexically), nonverbally (e.g., gesture), or extralinguistically (e.g., prosody). Although it has been established that individuals with right brain damage (RBD) are impaired in the comprehension and production of emotion, research to date has focused on nonverbal and extralinguistic channels. The verbal expression of emotion in this population has been investigated in some studies but most of these have used global rating scales. Therefore, data at the verbal or lexical level of emotional expression following RBD are scarce. Aims: To explore the quantity and type of verbal emotional expression produced by individuals with RBD in their personal experience narratives. Methods & Procedures: Two personal experience narratives (using a negative and a positive emotional discourse topic) were elicited from a group of 7 males with RBD and a matched group of 10 non‐brain‐damaged (NBD) males. The discourse samples were transcribed and analysed in terms of the frequency and type of appraisal resources, i.e., the semantic choices made to express emotions, judgements, and valuations, and the way these can be graded (Martin, 2000; Martin & Rose, 2003). Outcomes & Results: The RBD group used fewer total appraisal resources in the verbal expression of emotion, particularly on the negative topic. Overall, they graded their emotional expression less and evaluated phenomena more than the NBD group. The major differences between the two groups were observed in the proportion of resources used in the negative topic: the RBD group evaluated phenomena more frequently than they expressed their own feelings, whereas the reverse was observed for the NBD group. On the positive topic, both groups used similar proportions of appraisal resources. Conclusions: This preliminary investigation has revealed that individuals with RBD may be impaired in the quantity and choice of verbal emotional expression produced in personal experience narratives on a negative, but not a positive, topic. The novel application of the appraisal framework to the discourse of this population has indicated that this method has considerable merit in highlighting differences in lexical emotional expression. It can also provide further insight into the assessment and treatment of the interpersonal and social integration deficits observed in individuals with acquired neurogenic disorders. A preliminary version of this article was presented at the 26th World Congress of the International Association of Logopedics and Phoniatrics Conference, Brisbane, Australia, August 2004.