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Facial emotion recognition, guilt and sub-clinical psychopathic traits: an exploration of mediation effects

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Abstract

Psychopathic traits are associated with a variety of emotional difficulties, including poor facial emotion recognition (FER) and reduced capacity to experience guilt. However, the potential mechanisms through which FER and low guilt-proneness are related to the development of psychopathic traits are not well understood. Using a non-clinical sample (N = 747), this study investigated the relationship between psychopathic traits, FER ability and guilt-proneness by exploring two alternative mediation models investigating: (a) the mediating effect of FER ability on the relationship between psychopathic traits and guilt-proneness, and (b) the mediating effect of psychopathic traits on the relationship between FER ability and guilt-proneness. FER ability did not significantly mediate the relationship between psychopathic traits and guilt-proneness. However, psychopathic traits did partially mediate the relationship between FER and guilt-proneness for the sad, angry, fearful and disgusted expressions. These findings suggest that psychopathic traits are related to a disruption in typical affective processing and the development of pro-social moral self-conscious emotions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia

    Catherine E. Prado, Matt S. Treeby & Simon F. Crowe

  2. Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Carlton, Australia

    Simon M. Rice

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  1. Catherine E. Prado
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  2. Matt S. Treeby
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  3. Simon M. Rice
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  4. Simon F. Crowe
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Correspondence to Simon F. Crowe.

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Prado, C.E., Treeby, M.S., Rice, S.M. et al. Facial emotion recognition, guilt and sub-clinical psychopathic traits: an exploration of mediation effects. Motiv Emot 41, 636–645 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-017-9628-4

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