Facial Expressions of Emotion and Psychopathology in Adolescent Boys
This chapter tests the three hypotheses concerning the relations between facial expressions of emotion and adolescent psychopathology. First, it is expected that externalizing adolescents, who are prone to aggressive and delinquent behavior, show more anger. Second, it is expected that internalizing adolescents, who are prone to anxiety, depression, withdrawn behavior, and somatic complaints, show more fear and sadness. The last hypothesis referred to embarrassment, which is believed to contribute to psychological adjustment by motivating people to avoid social-moral transgressions and to apologize for transgressions that have occurred. The results provide the first evidence for the claim that different adolescent disorders are manifest in distinct facial expressions of emotion. Furthermore, it documented links between adolescent psychopathology and emotional expression even though the measures of emotion and psychopathology came from two sources (the child's teacher and the child) rather than one, and emotional responses were assessed in one brief situation.
