The multimodal emotion perception in codependent individuals

Abstract

The emotional disturbances of individuals with codependency are often ignored. This study aimed to investigate the emotional perception of codependent individuals in four modalities – visual, auditory, tactile and olfactory. An EEG study was performed and presented pleasant and unpleasant stimuli selected by a panel of experts for each modality. Participants (fifteen codependent individuals and fifteen healthy volunteers) were instructed to assess the emotional impact and pleasantness of stimuli. The method of EEG spaces was used to visualize how close perceived stimuli were according to EEG data. The results showed ambivalence of emotional response to emotional stimuli with social component and lack of recognition of emotional tone detected in EEG and behavioral levels. The empathy feeling in codependent individuals was detected for fewer emotional stimuli. The group differences were associated with evolutionary newer modalities (auditory and visual). The lack of emotional perception in codependent subjects was determined by social factors and was detected in visual and auditory modalities, which were more involved in social interactions than olfactory and tactile modalities.