Emotion recognition and expression in young obese participants: preliminary study.
This study of the presence of alexithymic characteristics in obese adolescents and preadolescents tested the hypothesis of whether they showed impaired recognition and expression of emotion. The sample included 30 obese young participants and a control group of 30 participants of normal weight for their ages. Stimuli, 42 faces representing seven emotional expressions, were shown to participants who identified the emotion expressed in the face. The Level of Emotional Awareness Scale was adapted for children to evaluate their ability to describe their emotions. Young obese participants had significantly lower scores than control participants, but no differences were found in recognition of emotion. The lack of words to describe emotions might suggest a greater prevalence of alexithymic characteristics in the obese participants, but the hypothesis of a general deficit in the processing of emotional experiences was not supported.
Surcinelli
Paola
P
Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Italy.
Baldaro
Bruno
B
Balsamo
Antonio
A
Bolzani
Roberto
R
Gennari
Monia
M
Rossi
Nicolino C F
NC
D000293:Adolescent; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D001076:Aptitude; D001364:Awareness; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D004644:Emotions; D005149:Facial Expression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology*; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D010555:Personality Inventory