Research

Misrecognition of facial expressions in delinquents

Wataru Sato¹ , Shota Uono² , Naomi Matsuura³ and Motomi Toichi⁴

¹  Department of Comparative Study of Cognitive Development (Funded by Benesse Corporation), Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi 484-8506, Japan

²  Department of Cognitive Psychology in Education, Faculty of Education, Kyoto University, Yoshida-honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan

³  Graduate School of Education, Tokyo University of Social Welfare, Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 170-8426, Japan

⁴  Graduate School of Human Health Science, Faculty of Medicine, Kyoto University, Shogoin Kawara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8057, Japan

author email corresponding author email

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health 2009, 3:27doi:10.1186/1753-2000-3-27

Published:	18 September 2009

Abstract

Background

Previous reports have suggested impairment in facial expression recognition in delinquents, but controversy remains with respect to how such recognition is impaired. To address this issue, we investigated facial expression recognition in delinquents in detail.

Methods

We tested 24 male adolescent/young adult delinquents incarcerated in correctional facilities. We compared their performances with those of 24 age- and gender-matched control participants. Using standard photographs of facial expressions illustrating six basic emotions, participants matched each emotional facial expression with an appropriate verbal label.

Results

Delinquents were less accurate in the recognition of facial expressions that conveyed disgust than were control participants. The delinquents misrecognized the facial expressions of disgust as anger more frequently than did controls.

Conclusion

These results suggest that one of the underpinnings of delinquency might be impaired recognition of emotional facial expressions, with a specific bias toward interpreting disgusted expressions as hostile angry expressions.