title: Recognition of affect in facial expression using the Noh Mask Test: comparison of individuals with schizophrenia and normal controls.
abstract: The purpose of the present study was to compare facial expression recognition in individuals with schizophrenia and normal controls using the Noh Mask Test. Fifteen men with schizophrenia and 15 normal controls were presented with a photograph of a Noh mask rotated either upward or downward from the neutral front-facing position, and an emotion label, and were requested to judge whether the expression of the mask was congruent with the indicated emotion. Using multidimensional scaling, the facial expression of the Noh mask recognized by the patients and the healthy controls was analyzed in 3-D: (i) Rejection-Attention; (ii) Pleasant-Unpleasant; and (iii) Awakening-Relaxation. Individuals with schizophrenia had difficulty recognizing that others had intentions of harming them. The Noh Mask Test was found to be useful in discriminating between individuals with schizophrenia and controls in the recognition of facial expression (discriminant ratio: 99.9%).
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Kawamura Gakuen Woman's University, Abiko, Chiba, Japan. mino@os.rim.or.jp
authors.forename: Seiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Minoshita
authors.forename: Nobuaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: Maiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshikawa
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Satoh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004193:Discrimination Learning; D004644:Emotions; D005149:Facial Expression; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009949:Orientation; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012016:Reference Values; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology