Abstract
The present study aimed at discovering age and gender differences in
emotion recognition ability and intellectual functioning. Additionally, it
explored differences in accuracy of recognizing different emotions and
the predictive power of intellectual functioning in the recognition of
emotion. A total of 240 participants representing children, adolescents,
adults, and older people with an equal distribution of age groups and
gender constituted the sample. Emotion recognition was assessed by
Facially Expressed Emotion Labeling Test, intellectual functioning of
children by Colored Progressive Matrices, and intellectual functioning of
other age groups by Standard Progressive Matrices. An F test revealed
significant age differences in emotion recognition. Children and older
people were significantly less accurate and slower in recognizing facial
expressions of emotions than both adolescents and adults, who did not
differ from each other except for fear recognition. Gender differences in
emotion recognition were not observed in any of the age groups.
Accuracy rates were highest for the recognition of happy faces and
lowest for fear. Intellectual functioning increased with age but slightly
declined in old age. Intellectual functioning significantly predicted the
ability to recognize emotions in all age groups. Gaining a greater
understanding of the normal developmental trajectory of emotional facial
recognition across age groups may lead to further investigation of its
relationship with psychiatric disorders and psychosocial problems.
Rabia Khawar , Farah Malik, Samina Maqsood, Tallat Yasmin, Shazia Habib . (2013) Age and Gender Differences in Emotion Recognition Ability and Intellectual Functioning , Journal of Behavioural Sciences, Volume 23, Issue 3.
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