Skip to main content
Search
Search
    Quick Search anywhere
    Quick search in Citations
Advanced Search
Skip main navigationClose Drawer MenuOpen Drawer Menu
Previous article
Next article
Multistudy Report

The Nomological Network of Emotion Recognition Ability

Evidence from the Geneva Emotion Recognition Test

Published Online:March 10, 2017https://doi.org/10.1027/1015-5759/a000396

Abstract

Abstract. The ability to recognize other people’s emotions from their face, voice, and body (emotion recognition ability, ERA) is crucial to successful functioning in private and professional life. The Geneva Emotion Recognition Test (GERT; Schlegel, Grandjean, & Scherer, 2014) is a new instrument to measure ERA in a more ecologically valid way than previous tests. In this article, we report the results of five studies examining the test’s construct validity with a total N of 1,284. We found that the GERT was highly positively correlated with other performance-based tests measuring ERA and emotional intelligence (EI), as well as with cognitive intelligence. GERT scores were also related to higher self-reported empathy, openness, and neuroticism, and to better social adjustment. Furthermore, higher GERT scores were related to lower anxiety, anger expressivity, and alexithymia. In line with previous findings, women scored higher than men and GERT performance declined with increasing age. Taken together, these results provide considerable evidence for the construct validity of the GERT and for ERA as an adaptive skill that likely facilitates better life outcomes.

References

  • Achenbach, T. M., & Rescorla, L. A. (2003). Manual for the ASEBA Adult Forms & Profiles. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Research Center for Children, Youth, Families. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Bagby, R. M., Parker, J. D., & Taylor, G. J. (1994). The twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale – I. Item selection and cross-validation of the factor structure. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 38, 23–32. doi: 10.1016/0022-3999(94)90005-1 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Bänziger, T., Grandjean, D., & Scherer, K. R. (2009). Emotion recognition from expressions in face, voice, and body: The Multimodal Emotion Recognition Test (MERT). Emotion, 9, 691–704. doi: 10.1037/a0017088 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Bänziger, T., Mortillaro, M., & Scherer, K. R. (2012). Introducing the Geneva Multimodal expression corpus for experimental research on emotion perception. Emotion, 12, 1161–1179. doi: 10.1037/a0025827 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Bänziger, T., Scherer, K. R., Hall, J. A., & Rosenthal, R. (2011). Introducing the MiniPONS: A Short Multichannel Version of the Profile of Nonverbal Sensitivity (PONS). Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 35, 189–204. doi: 10.1007/s10919-011-0108-3 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Baumgarten, M., Süß, H.-M., & Weis, S. (2015). The cue is the key: The relevance of cues and contextual information in the social understanding tasks of the Magdeburg Test of Social Intelligence. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 31, 38–44. doi: 10.1027/1015-5759/a000204 First citation in articleLink, Google Scholar

  • Boone, R. T., & Schlegel, K. (2016). Is there a general skill in perceiving others accurately? In J. A. HallM. Schmid MastT. V. WestEds., The social psychology of perceiving others accurately (pp. 379–403). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Borteyrou, X., Bruchon-Schweitzer, M., & Spielberger, C. D. (2008). Une adaptation française du STAXI-2, inventaire de colère-trait et de colère-état de C.D. Spielberger [A French adaptation of the STAXI-2, State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory by C.D. Spielberger]. L’Encéphale, 34, 249–255. doi: 10.1016/j.encep.2007.06.001 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Carton, J. S., Kessler, E. A., & Pape, C. L. (1999). Nonverbal decoding skills and relationship well-being in adults. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 23, 91–100. doi: 10.1023/A:1021339410262 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Routledge. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Davis, M. H. (1983). Measuring individual differences in empathy: Evidence for a multidimensional approach. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 44, 113–126. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.44.1.113 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • De Gucht, V., Fontaine, J., & Fischler, B. (2004). Temporal stability and differential relationships with neuroticism and extraversion of the three subscales of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale in clinical and nonclinical samples. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 57, 25–33. doi: 10.1016/S0022-3999(03)00577-4 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Demenescu, L. R., Kortekaas, R., Boer, J. A. den, & Aleman, A. (2010). Impaired Attribution of Emotion to Facial Expressions in Anxiety and Major Depression. PLoS One, 5(12), e15058. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0015058 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Elfenbein, H. A., & Ambady, N. (2002). On the universality and cultural specificity of emotion recognition: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 128, 203–235. doi: 10.1037/0033-2909.128.2.203 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Elfenbein, H. A., Foo, M. D., White, J., Tan, H. H., & Aik, V. C. (2007). Reading your counterpart: The benefit of emotion recognition accuracy for effectiveness in negotiation. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 31, 205–223. doi: 10.1007/s10919-007-0033-7 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Franck, E., De Raedt, R., Barbez, C., & Rosseel, Y. (2008). Psychometric properties of the Dutch Rosenberg self-esteem scale. Psychologica Belgica, 48, 25–35. doi: 10.5334/pb-48-1-25 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Frank, M. G., & Stennett, J. (2001). The forced-choice paradigm and the perception of facial expressions of emotion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 80, 75–85. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.80.1.75 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Gauthier, J., & Bouchard, S. (1993). Adaptation canadienne-française de la forme revisée du State-Trait Anxiety Inventory de Spielberger [French-Canadian adaptation of the revised State-trait anxiety inventory by Spielberger]. Revue Canadienne des Sciences du Comportement, 25, 559–578. doi: 10.1037/h0078881 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Guarino, L., Roger, D., & Olason, D. T. (2007). Reconstructing N: A new approach to measuring emotional sensitivity. Current Psychology, 26, 37–45. doi: 10.1007/s12144-007-9004-8 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Guttman, H., & Laporte, L. (2002). Alexithymia, empathy, and psychological symptoms in a family context. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 43, 448–455. doi: 10.1053/comp.2002.35905 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Hall, J. A. (1978). Gender effects in decoding nonverbal cues. Psychological Bulletin, 85, 845–857. doi: 10.1037/0033-2909/78/8504-0845 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Hall, J. A. (2001). The PONS Test and the psychometric approach to measuring interpersonal sensitivity. In J. A. HallF. J. BernieriEds., Interpersonal sensitivity: Theory and Measurement (pp. 145–162). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Hall, J. A., Andrzejewski, S. A., & Yopchick, J. E. (2009). Psychosocial correlates of interpersonal sensitivity: A meta-analysis. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 33, 149–180. doi: 10.1007/s10919-009-0070-5 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Hall, J. A., & Matsumoto, D. (2004). Gender differences in judgments of multiple emotions from facial expressions. Emotion, 4, 201–206. doi: 10.1037/1528-3542.4.2.201 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • John, O. P., Donahue, E. M., & Kentle, R. L. (1991). The Big Five Inventory-versions 4a and 54. Berkeley, CA: University of California, Berkeley, Institute of Personality and Social Research. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Kenny, D. A. (2013). Issues in the measurement of judgmental accuracy. In S. Baron-CohenH. Tager-FlusbergM. V. LombardoEds., Understanding other minds: Perspectives from developmental social neuroscience (pp. 104–116). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Kohler, C. G., Walker, J. B., Martin, E. A., Healey, K. M., & Moberg, P. J. (2010). Facial emotion perception in schizophrenia: A meta-analytic review. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 36, 1009–1019. doi: 10.1093/schbul/sbn192 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Lambrecht, L., Kreifelts, B., & Wildgruber, D. (2012). Age-related decrease in recognition of emotional facial and prosodic expressions. Emotion, 12, 529–539. doi: 10.1037/a0026827 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Lane, R. D., Sechrest, L., Riedel, R., Shapiro, D. E., & Kaszniak, A. W. (2000). Pervasive emotion recognition deficit common to alexithymia and the repressive coping style. Psychosomatic Medicine, 62, 492–501. doi: 10.1097/00006842-200007000-00007 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Lee, Y., Stettler, A., & Antonakis, J. (2011). Incremental validity and indirect effect of ethical development on work performance. Personality and Individual Differences, 50, 1110–1115. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2011.01.036 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Libbrecht, N., & Lievens, F. (2012). Validity evidence for the situational judgment test paradigm in emotional intelligence measurement. International Journal of Psychology, 47, 438–447. doi: 10.1080/00207594.2012.682063 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • MacCann, C., Pearce, N., & Roberts, R. D. (2011). Emotional intelligence as assessed by situational judgment and emotion recognition tests: Building the nomological net. Psihologijske teme, 20, 393–412. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • MacCann, C., & Roberts, R. D. (2008). New paradigms for assessing emotional intelligence: Theory and data. Emotion, 8, 540–551. doi: 10.1037/a0012746 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Marsh, A. A., & Blair, R. J. R. (2008). Deficits in facial affect recognition among antisocial populations: A meta-analysis. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 32, 454–465. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2007.08.003 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Matsumoto, D., LeRoux, J., Wilson-Cohn, C., Raroque, J., Kooken, K., Ekman, P., … Goh, A. (2000). A new test to measure emotion recognition ability: Matsumoto and Ekman’s Japanese and Caucasian Brief Affect Recognition Test (JACBART). Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 24, 179–209. doi: 10.1023/A:1006668120583 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Mavroveli, S., Petrides, K. V., Rieffe, C., & Bakker, F. (2007). Trait emotional intelligence, psychological well-being, and peer-rated social competence in adolescence. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 25, 263–275. doi: 10.1348/026151006X118577 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Mayer, J. D., & Salovey, P. (1997). What is emotional intelligence? In P. SaloveyD. SluyterEds., Emotional development and emotional intelligence: Educational implications (pp. 3–31). New York, NY: Basic Books. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Mayer, J. D., Salovey, P., Caruso, D. R., & Sitarenios, G. (2003). Measuring emotional intelligence with the MSCEIT V2.0. Emotion, 3, 97–105. doi: 10.1037/1528-3542.3.1.97 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • McArthur, L. Z., & Baron, R. M. (1983). Toward an ecological theory of social perception. Psychological Review, 90, 215–238. doi: 10.1037/0033-295X.90.3.215 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Mikolajczak, M., Luminet, O., Leroy, C., & Roy, E. (2007). Psychometric properties of the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire: Factor structure, reliability, construct, and incremental validity in a French-speaking population. Journal of Personality Assessment, 88, 338–353. doi: 10.1080/00223890701333431 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Murphy, N. A., & Hall, J. A. (2011). Intelligence and interpersonal sensitivity: A meta-analysis. Intelligence, 39, 54–63. doi: 10.1016/j.intell.2010.10.001 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Petrides, K. V. (2009). Psychometric properties of the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire. In C. StoughD. H. SaklofskeJ. D. ParkerEds., Advances in the assessment of emotional intelligence (pp. 85–101). New York, NY: Springer. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Petrides, K. V., Pita, R., & Kokkinaki, F. (2007). The location of trait emotional intelligence in personality factor space. British Journal of Psychology, 98, 273–289. doi: 10.1348/000712606X120618 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Plaisant, O., Courtois, R., Réveillère, C., Mendelsohn, G. A., & John, O. P. (2010). Validation par analyse factorielle du Big Five Inventory français (BFI-Fr). Analyse convergente avec le NEO-PI-R [Validation of the BFI-Fr through factor analysis. Convergent analysis with the NEO-PI-R]. Annales Médico-Psychologiques Revue Psychiatrique, 168, 97–106. doi: 10.1016/j.amp.2009.09.003 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Lee, J.-Y., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2003). Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. The Journal of Applied Psychology, 88, 879–903. doi: 10.1037/0021-9010.88.5.879 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Rasch, G. (1993). Probabilistic models for some intelligence and attainment tests. Chicago, IL: MESA Press. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Riggio, R. E., & Riggio, H. R. (2001). Self-report measurement of interpersonal sensitivity. In J. A. HallF. J. BernieriEds., Interpersonal sensitivity: Theory and measurement (pp. 127–142). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Roberts, R. D., MacCann, C., Matthews, G., & Zeidner, M. (2010). Emotional intelligence: Toward a consensus of models and measures. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 4, 821–840. doi: 10.1111/j.1751-9004.2010.00277.x First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and the adolescent self-image. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Rosenthal, R., Hall, J. A., DiMatteo, M. R., Rogers, P. L., & Archer, R. (1979). Sensitivity to nonverbal communication: The PONS Test. Baltimore, ML: Johns Hopkins University Press. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Ruffman, T. (2011). Ecological validity and age-related change in emotion recognition. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 35, 297–304. doi: 10.1007/s10919-011-0116-3 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Ruffman, T., Henry, J. D., Livingstone, V., & Phillips, L. H. (2008). A meta-analytic review of emotion recognition and aging: Implications for neuropsychological models of aging. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 32, 863–881. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2008.01.001 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Sasson, N. J., Pinkham, A. E., Richard, J., Hughett, P., Gur, R. E., & Gur, R. C. (2010). Controlling for response biases clarifies sex and age differences in facial affect recognition. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 34, 207–221. doi: 10.1007/s10919-010-0092-z First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Scherer, K. R., & Scherer, U. (2011). Assessing the ability to recognize facial and vocal expressions of emotion: Construction and validation of the Emotion Recognition Index. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 35, 305–326. doi: 10.1007/s10919-011-0115-4 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Schlegel, K., Grandjean, D., & Scherer, K. R. (2012). Emotion recognition: Unidimensional ability or a set of modality- and emotion-specific skills? Personality and Individual Differences, 53, 16–21. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2012.01.026 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Schlegel, K., Grandjean, D., & Scherer, K. R. (2014). Introducing the Geneva Emotion Recognition Test: An example of Rasch-based test development. Psychological Assessment, 26, 666–672. doi: 10.1037/a0035246 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Schlegel, K., & Scherer, K. R. (2015). Introducing a short version of the Geneva Emotion Recognition Test (GERT-S): Psychometric properties and construct validation. Behavior Research Methods, 48, 1383–1392. doi: 10.3758/s13428-015-0646-4 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Schmidt, F. L., & Hunter, J. E. (2014). Meta-analysis of correlations corrected individually for artifacts. In F. L. SchmidtJ. E. HunterEds., Methods of meta-analysis: Correcting error and bias in research findings (3rd ed., pp. 75–135). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Spielberger, C. D. (1988). State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory. Wiley Online Library. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Spielberger, C. D., Gorsuch, R. L., Lushene, R., Vagg, P. R., & Jacobs, G. A. (1983). State-trait anxiety inventory for adults. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Thiébaut, E., & Bidan-Fortier, C. (2003). Batterie de tests d’aptitudes cognitives NV5-R–Manuel [Battery of aptitude tests NV5-R]. Paris, France: Pearson. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Thingujam, N. S., Laukka, P., & Elfenbein, H. A. (2012). Distinct emotional abilities converge: Evidence from emotional understanding and emotion recognition through the voice. Journal of Research in Personality, 46, 350–354. doi: 10.1016/j.jrp.2012.02.005 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Thompson, A. E., & Voyer, D. (2014). Sex differences in the ability to recognise non-verbal displays of emotion: A meta-analysis. Cognition and Emotion, 28, 1164–1195. doi: 10.1080/02699931.2013.875889 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Van Wingen, G. A., van Eijndhoven, P., Tendolkar, I., Buitelaar, J., Verkes, R. J., & Fernandez, G. (2011). Neural basis of emotion recognition deficits in first-episode major depression. Psychological Medicine, 41, 1397–1405. doi: 10.1017/S0033291710002084 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Williams, L. J., Hartman, N., & Cavazotte, F. (2010). Method variance and marker variables: A review and comprehensive CFA marker technique. Organizational Research Methods, 13, 477–514. doi: 10.1177/1094428110366036 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar