Preliminary Evaluation of a Web-Oriented Assessment Tool for Emotion Recognition

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Computer Science
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Facial expression recognition is key to emotional intelligence and social functioning.
• Existing tools for emotion perception are often limited or not readily accessible.
• Facial expressions convey emotional states and can influence emotional regulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an innovative online tool for assessing emotion recognition.
• To measure emotion perception across a continuum of intensity levels.
• To provide a benchmark for assessing emotional dysfunction in psychiatric conditions.

Main Methods:

• Development of an online tool based on Ekman's Facial Action Units.
• Inclusion of virtual characters (male and female) displaying five basic emotions and neutral expressions.
• User interaction via a custom-designed pentagon for selecting emotion and intensity (1-5).

Main Results:

• Preliminary evaluation conducted on thirty healthy subjects.
• Threshold data generated for emotion perception sensitivity.
• The tool demonstrated feasibility for assessing emotion recognition.

Conclusions:

• The developed online tool offers a novel approach to emotion perception assessment.
• It provides a continuum of intensity, expanding on existing methods.
• The tool has potential applications in diagnosing and understanding emotional deficits in psychiatric disorders like depression and schizophrenia.