Desenvolvimento e eficácia de um treinamento para reconhecimento de expressões faciais

Abstract

Facial expression recognition is fundamental for social interaction. However, not all individual performs well in this skill – what may have implications for social adjustment. It is hypothesized that the ability to recognize facial expressions can be trained. This study aimed to investigate the available interventions in the literature, with a systematic review. PRISMA method was used to perform and describe the first study. Scopus, PubMed and PsycNET databases were accessed in a double-blind evaluation of articles published from January 2013 to August 2018. Empirical studies, with experimental or quasi-experimental design, published in English or Portuguese were included. Studies that did not showed verification measures for accuracy of facial expressions recognition; or did not report data about facial expression recognition accuracy; or studies with children and adolescents were excluded. A total of 1228 studies were identified and, after applying the exclusion criteria, 35 articles were included in the review. After the analysis of these articles, it was possible to carry out the second study, which was the development and evaluation of the effectiveness of a training in form of a computerized game aiming to improve facial expression recognition accuracy. A total of 82 undergraduate students participated in this study with experimental design and were allocated between control or experimental group. All participants performed a pre- and post-test measuring the accuracy of facial expressions recognition using stimuli presented in 200ms, 500ms and 1s. The individuals allocated to the experimental group received the training, while the students in the control group only watched a documentary of neutral content. In addition, 53.6% (n=19 control group; n=25 experimental group) of the sample also performed a follow up and was evaluated one month after baseline/post-intervention. Comparisons between the two groups were performed with descriptive analyzes and, to evaluate the efficacy of the training, repeated measures ANOVAs were performed. Statistically significant was considered p <0.05. Results suggested significant and positive time effect between pre- and post-test for happiness and anger, at the three times of exposure and significant and negative time effect for fear in 200ms and disgust and surprise at the three times of exposure. A significant Group*Time effect was observed in anger at 200ms and marginally significant in happiness at 500ms, with greater improvement in the experimental group than in the control group. A negative Group*Time effect was observed in sadness at 1000ms, with controls reaching better scores. At the follow up evaluation, happiness revealed a positive and significant time effect at the three times of exposure between pre-test and follow up and a significant negative effect in 200ms between post-test and follow up. Between post-test and follow up fear in 200ms and 1000ms, surprise in 500ms and 1000ms and sadness in 200ms showed significant improvement, while anger at the three times of exposure showed negative and significant time effect between post-test and follow up and disgust in 500ms and 1000ms between pre-test and follow up. The Group*Time interaction was significant at follow up in happiness 500ms, anger 200ms, and sadness 1000ms, with higher scores in the experimental group, while in fear 1000ms controls achieved better scores. Improvements in social skills were assessed only at pre-test and follow up and reveled significant improvement only in the experimental group. Explanatory hypotheses for those findings include specificities of each emotion, sample characteristics, assessment, and training limitations and are discussed throughout this study.