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. 2013 Apr 10;8(4):e61004.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061004. Print 2013.

When early experiences build a wall to others' emotions: an electrophysiological and autonomic study

Martina Ardizzi  1 , Francesca Martini, Maria Alessandra Umiltà, Mariateresa Sestito, Roberto Ravera, Vittorio Gallese
Affiliations

When early experiences build a wall to others' emotions: an electrophysiological and autonomic study

Martina Ardizzi et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Facial expression of emotions is a powerful vehicle for communicating information about others' emotional states and it normally induces facial mimicry in the observers. The aim of this study was to investigate if early aversive experiences could interfere with emotion recognition, facial mimicry, and with the autonomic regulation of social behaviors. We conducted a facial emotion recognition task in a group of "street-boys" and in an age-matched control group. We recorded facial electromyography (EMG), a marker of facial mimicry, and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), an index of the recruitment of autonomic system promoting social behaviors and predisposition, in response to the observation of facial expressions of emotions. Results showed an over-attribution of anger, and reduced EMG responses during the observation of both positive and negative expressions only among street-boys. Street-boys also showed lower RSA after observation of facial expressions and ineffective RSA suppression during presentation of non-threatening expressions. Our findings suggest that early aversive experiences alter not only emotion recognition but also facial mimicry of emotions. These deficits affect the autonomic regulation of social behaviors inducing lower social predisposition after the visualization of facial expressions and an ineffective recruitment of defensive behavior in response to non-threatening expressions.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Accuracy Rate.
Accuracy rate for Street-Boys group (SBg) and Control group (Cg). ** = p<0.005. Only differences between groups were showed. See the text for differences inside each group. Error bars are SE.
Figure 2
Figure 2. False Alarms.
False Alarms rate displayed condition by condition for Street-Boys group (SBg) and Control group (Cg). ** = p<0.005. Only differences between groups were showed. See the text for differences inside each group. Error bars are SE.
Figure 3
Figure 3. EMG responses.
Corrugator Supercilii (A) and Zygomaticus Major (B) EMG responses for Street-Boys group (SBg) and Control group (Cg) during presentation of emotional facial expressions. * = p<0.05; ** = p<0.005. Only differences between groups were showed. See the text for differences inside each group. Error bars are SE.
Figure 4
Figure 4. Baseline RSA values.
Baseline and Recovery RSA values for Street-Boys group (SBg) and Control group (Cg). * = p<0.012. Error bars are SE.
Figure 5
Figure 5. Correlation between Mean Baseline and Suppression RSA.
Correlation between Mean Baseline and Suppression RSA values for Street-Boys group (SBg) and Control group (Cg) inside each condition. * = p<0.05.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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