1. Psychopathy and the decoding of the facial expressions of emotions The Second International Conference – Towards a Safer Society, Edinburgh, « Understanding and Tackling Violence » Thierry H Pham+ & Pierre Philippot* +Centre of Research in Social Defence, Be. Thierry H Pham+ & Pierre Philippot* +Centre of Research in Social Defence, Be. +Dept psychology, Mons-Hainaut University *Catholic University Louvain, Be. thierry.pham@crds.be

2. Emotion research « Primary function of emotion is to guide action and social interaction » (Lazarus, 1991). « Primary function of emotion is to guide action and social interaction » (Lazarus, 1991). « Being able to reexperience unpleasent event in its absence could offer a distinct advantage in planning of future... » (Ledoux, 1996). « Being able to reexperience unpleasent event in its absence could offer a distinct advantage in planning of future... » (Ledoux, 1996).

3. Clinicians point of vue

4. Psychopathy and emotions Cleckley (1976) Cleckley (1976) « semantic dementia » « semantic dementia » – « almost totally unable to grasp emotionally the major components of meaning or feeling implicit in the thoughts that he expresses or the experiences he appears to go through ». P.370 – « Elimination or attenuation of those strong affective components that ordinarily arise in major personal and social issue. » p.374 – John et Quay (1962) « the psychopath knows the words of a song but not the music. » p.271

5. Recent psychophysiological measure

6. Negative Valence (IAPS, Lang & al, 1988)

7. Startle reflex modulation (Patrick, Bradley & Lang, 1993 )

8. Psychopaths react differently to emotional stimuli and show lowered autonomic reactions when faced with (fear), threatening events.” (Patrick, Bradley & Lang, 1993)

9. Heuristic model of emotion Heuristic model of emotion

10. Psychopathy and primary emotions

11. Participants N=41 male incarcerated participants 20 psychopaths 20 psychopaths 21 non psychopaths 21 non psychopaths Groups are equivalent for age and IQ

12. Intensity of the bodily sensations across emotional inductions (Pham, Philippot & Rimé, 2000)

13. Means of the blood pressures during five emotion inductions (Pham, Philippot & Rimé, 2000)

14. Instruments Psychopathy : PCL-R Psychopathy : PCL-R Subjective emotions Subjective emotions –8 items associated with emotional empathy (6-points lickert scale) –+ 12 items about the quality of the film (distractor)

15. Physiological measures Systolic, diastolic pression Systolic, diastolic pression Heart rhythm Heart rhythm Measure of physiological variables –before and after relaxation –After each visual cue

16. Results : physiological variables Diastolic pression Diastolic pression –Main effect of group : psychopaths < non psychopaths (p<.01) Systolic pression Systolic pression –Main effect of group : psychopaths < non psychopaths (p<.01) Heart Rythm Heart Rythm –No main effect and none interaction

17. Results : Subjective emotions No main effect of group : psychopaths are equivalent to non psychopaths No main effect of group : psychopaths are equivalent to non psychopaths –For neutral visual cue –For both emotional cues

18. Conclusions Distolic and systolic blood pressions of psychopaths are lower than non psychopaths Distolic and systolic blood pressions of psychopaths are lower than non psychopaths Psychopaths would present a lower physiological reactivity, independantly of stimuli Psychopaths would present a lower physiological reactivity, independantly of stimuli

19. Facial expressions of emotion

20. Stevens, Chapman and Blair (2001). Children with psychopathic tendencies (Psychopathy Screening Device) and comparison children were presented with: Children with psychopathic tendencies (Psychopathy Screening Device) and comparison children were presented with: 2 facial expressions and 2 vocal tone sub-tests measuring the ability to name: 2 facial expressions and 2 vocal tone sub-tests measuring the ability to name:sad,fearful, happy, and angry facial expressions and vocal affects. Results Results The children with psychopathic tendencies showed selective impairments in the recognition of both The children with psychopathic tendencies showed selective impairments in the recognition of both sad sad fearful facial expressions and sad vocal tone. fearful facial expressions and sad vocal tone. No difference in their recognition of happy or angry facial expressions or fearful, happy, and angry vocal tones. No difference in their recognition of happy or angry facial expressions or fearful, happy, and angry vocal tones. The results are interpreted with reference to the suggestion that the development of psychopathic tendencies reflect early amygdala dysfunction. The results are interpreted with reference to the suggestion that the development of psychopathic tendencies reflect early amygdala dysfunction.

22. Patients with amygdala lesions show impairments in: Patients with amygdala lesions show impairments in: aversive conditioning and reduced startle reflex (Bechara et al, 1995; LaBar & Ledoux, 1995) aversive conditioning and reduced startle reflex (Bechara et al, 1995; LaBar & Ledoux, 1995) recognising negatives emotions of fear recognising negatives emotions of fear and secondarily sadness (Fine & Blair, 2000)

23. Blair, Colledge, Murray and Mitchell (2001) Compared children with psychopathic tendencies (PSD) and controls Compared children with psychopathic tendencies (PSD) and controls in a facial expression decoding task. in a facial expression decoding task. Progressive cinematic display of a standardised set of facial expressions depicting: Progressive cinematic display of a standardised set of facial expressions depicting: sadness, sadness, happiness, happiness, anger, anger, disgust, disgust, fear fear surprise. surprise. Each facial stimulus was presented with an increasing intensity. Each facial stimulus was presented with an increasing intensity. Results Results The children with psychopathic tendencies needed significantly more stages before they could recognise the sad expressions. The children with psychopathic tendencies needed significantly more stages before they could recognise the sad expressions. Even when the fearful expressions were at full intensity: more likely to mistake them for another expression. Even when the fearful expressions were at full intensity: more likely to mistake them for another expression. Interpreted these data with reference to an amygdala and empathy impairment explanation of psychopathy. Interpreted these data with reference to an amygdala and empathy impairment explanation of psychopathy.

24. Kosson, Suchy, Mayer and Libby (2002) Kosson, Suchy, Mayer and Libby (2002) Adult participants Adult participants Facial affect recognition test: slides of prototypic facial expressions. Facial affect recognition test: slides of prototypic facial expressions. Three hypotheses regarding hemispheric lateralization anomalies: Three hypotheses regarding hemispheric lateralization anomalies: right-hemisphere dysfunction and reduced lateralization right-hemisphere dysfunction and reduced lateralizationResults The authors did not replicated the results of Blair et al. The authors did not replicated the results of Blair et al. When using their left hand- relying on right hemisphere resources: When using their left hand- relying on right hemisphere resources: Psychopath < controls at classifying disgust expressions. Psychopath < controls at classifying disgust expressions. When using their right hand- relying on left-hemisphere resources: Psychopaths > controls at classifying anger expressions When using their right hand- relying on left-hemisphere resources: Psychopaths > controls at classifying anger expressions Psychopaths were less accurate at classifying facial affect under conditions promoting reliance on right-hemisphere resources and displayed a specific deficit in classifying disgust. Psychopaths were less accurate at classifying facial affect under conditions promoting reliance on right-hemisphere resources and displayed a specific deficit in classifying disgust.

25. Aim of the study We compared adults psychopaths, non psychopaths and controls. We compared adults psychopaths, non psychopaths and controls. We used a highly sensitive non-verbal decoding task (Hess an Blairy, 1995) good discriminant validity among alcoholics and social phobia We used a highly sensitive non-verbal decoding task (Hess an Blairy, 1995) good discriminant validity among alcoholics and social phobia (Philippot et al., 1999) (Philippot et al., 1999) Hypothesis of a global impairment in the decoding of facial expression of emotions in term of: Hypothesis of a global impairment in the decoding of facial expression of emotions in term of: accuracy, accuracy, difficulty ratings difficulty ratings intensity intensity Hypothesis of an amygdala dysfunction: impairment decoding of facial expressions of fear and sadness ( Blair et al., 2001). Hypothesis of an amygdala dysfunction: impairment decoding of facial expressions of fear and sadness ( Blair et al., 2001).

26. Method

27. Participants Psychopaths (N=30), Psychopaths (N=30), Nonpsychopaths (N=33) Nonpsychopaths (N=33) Security hospital (N=20) or a high security prison (N=43) Excluded psychotic diagnosis and mental deficiency <70 Non criminals (N=20): men without psychiatric disorders Non criminals (N=20): men without psychiatric disorders PCL-R Criteria: PCL-R Criteria: total score superior to 25 points PCL-R Factor 1 superior to 10 (median = 7.8)

28. Participants

29. Pictures 40 slides: Apple Macintosch computer. Each slide displays : a caucasian young female or a male actor Prototypic facial expression of : 8 happiness, 8 anger 8 sadness, 8 fear 8 disgust. The slides also varied in emotional intensity : 0 %, 30 % 70 % 100 %

32. Pictures Each expression: Each expression: participants rated on a 7 point scales for : participants rated on a 7 point scales for :happiness,sadness,fear,anger,disgust,surprise,shame,contempt. An expression was considered as “accurate” when emotion scales received the highest intensity rating corresponding to the target emotion. Emotional intensity of the picture: “very low” (0) to very high (4) The task difficulty: how difficult for them to guess the emotion portrayed by each expression: “not at all” at one extremity and “very intensely” at the other.

33. Results

34. Results: (1) Decoding accuracy A MANCOVA with: A MANCOVA with: Emotion (joy, anger, fear, sadness and disgust) Intensity (30%, 70% and 100%) as within-subject factors Population (criminal psychopaths, non psychopaths, and controls) as between-subjects factor Education as covariate: r =.24 and accuracy Very significant population effect: Very significant population effect: Controls performed better than the two criminal groups, F(2,92) = 5,857, p =.004 : Controls performed better than the two criminal groups, F(2,92) = 5,857, p =.004 :

35. Accuracy of responses according to emotions

36. Results: (2) Task difficulty ratings A MANCOVA with Emotion and Intensity as within-subject factors and Population as between-subjects factor has been computed on the difficulty ratings. A MANCOVA with Emotion and Intensity as within-subject factors and Population as between-subjects factor has been computed on the difficulty ratings.

37. Difficulty ratings according to emotion

38. Results: (3) Emotional intensity attributed to the facial expressions A MANCOVA with Emotion, Intensity and emotion scale as within-subject factors and Population as between-subjects factor has been computed on the intensity ratings. A MANCOVA with Emotion, Intensity and emotion scale as within-subject factors and Population as between-subjects factor has been computed on the intensity ratings. No effect involving Population was observed. No effect involving Population was observed.

39. Difficulty ratings according to intensity

40. Results: (4) Blair’s amygdala hypothesis Blair’s et al., (2001) hypothesis: psychopaths were impaired in processing sad and fear facial expressions but not happy, anger and disgust expressions. Blair’s et al., (2001) hypothesis: psychopaths were impaired in processing sad and fear facial expressions but not happy, anger and disgust expressions. Grouped sadness and fear expressions Compared 3 groups with MANCOVA on: decoding accuracy difficulty ratings. Result Result No effect involving population was observed No effect involving population was observed

41. Discussion

42. Psychopaths were globally equivalent to non-psychopaths at decoding facial expression of emotion. Psychopaths were globally equivalent to non-psychopaths at decoding facial expression of emotion. No impairment in decoding sad and fear expressions No impairment in decoding sad and fear expressions challenging the amygdala dysfunction explanation of psychopathy Assumption that amygdala is only involved in negative emotions (Bechara, 2004). (Bechara, 2004). The two criminal groups were less accurate than the non-criminal control group for disgust and fear. The two criminal groups were less accurate than the non-criminal control group for disgust and fear.

43. Psychopaths were less accurate than normal controls for anger. Psychopaths were less accurate than normal controls for anger. Blackburn & Lee-Evans (1985) Blackburn & Lee-Evans (1985) Serin (1991) Sterling & Edelmann (1988) Cognitive biais in the perception of threat and in answering with higher levels of anger to various provoking situations. Related to irritated attitudes, explosive behaviors, lack of behavior control (item 10 PCL-R), lack of anger control (PCL-R Youth version) Related to irritated attitudes, explosive behaviors, lack of behavior control (item 10 PCL-R), lack of anger control (PCL-R Youth version) The genuine inability to decode all the emotions expressions has not been demonstrated The genuine inability to decode all the emotions expressions has not been demonstrated Psychopathy is a seldom syndrome resulting from a complex combination of subtle deficits (Hallé, Hodgins, & Roussy, 2000 ) Psychopathy is a seldom syndrome resulting from a complex combination of subtle deficits (Hallé, Hodgins, & Roussy, 2000 )

44. Thierry.pham@crds.be