The impact of face masks on emotion recognition performance and perception of threat

Facial emotion recognition is crucial for social interaction. However, in times of a global pandemic, where wearing a face mask covering mouth and nose is widely encouraged to prevent the spread of disease, successful emotion recognition may be challenging. In Study 1, we investigated whether emotion recognition, assessed by a validated emotion recognition task, is impaired for faces wearing a mask compared to uncovered faces, in a sample of 790 participants between 18 and 89 years. Additionally, perception of threat for faces with and without mask was assessed. We found impaired emotion recognition for faces wearing a mask compared to faces without mask, especially for those depicting anger, sadness and disgust. Further, we observed that perception of threat was altered for faces wearing a mask. In Study 2, we compared emotion recognition performance for faces with and without face mask to faces that are occluded by something other than a mask, i.e. a bubble as well as only showing the upper part of the faces. We found that, for most emotions and especially for disgust, there seems to be an effect that can be ascribed to the face mask specifically, both for emotion recognition performance and perception of threat. Methodological constraints as well as the importance of wearing a mask despite temporarily compromised social interaction are discussed.</p

The impact of face masks on emotion recognition performance and perception of threat

Facial emotion recognition is crucial for social interaction. However, in times of a global pandemic, where wearing a face mask covering mouth and nose is widely encouraged to prevent the spread of disease, successful emotion recognition may be challenging. In Study 1, we investigated whether emotion recognition, assessed by a validated emotion recognition task, is impaired for faces wearing a mask compared to uncovered faces, in a sample of 790 participants between 18 and 89 years. Additionally, perception of threat for faces with and without mask was assessed. We found impaired emotion recognition for faces wearing a mask compared to faces without mask, especially for those depicting anger, sadness and disgust. Further, we observed that perception of threat was altered for faces wearing a mask. In Study 2, we compared emotion recognition performance for faces with and without face mask to faces that are occluded by something other than a mask, i.e. a bubble as well as only showing the upper part of the faces. We found that, for most emotions and especially for disgust, there seems to be an effect that can be ascribed to the face mask specifically, both for emotion recognition performance and perception of threat. Methodological constraints as well as the importance of wearing a mask despite temporarily compromised social interaction are discussed

Neural and Hormonal Dynamics of Sexual Arousal in Menopause Transition

The transition to menopause presents a window of vulnerability for women's mental health due to profound physiological and psycho-social changes. First evidence suggests that fluctuating and declining sex hormone levels during (the transition to) menopause influence not only mood and sexual function, but also subjective and neural sexual arousal responses (Baek et al., 2019; Dennerstein et al., 2002; Gracia &amp; Freeman, 2018; Kim &amp; Jeong, 2017). Additionally, changes in brain structure and resting state connectivity related to menopause are reported. However, there has been insufficient systematic evidence and in particular integrative approaches at the subjective, behavioral, neural and endocrinological levels are lacking. The present cross-sectional study aims to investigate subjective and neural sexual arousal in women, 35-55 years of age, during PRE-, PERI-, and POST-menopause by using an erotic rating fMRI paradigm. Additionally, functional and resting-state connectivity within a “female sexual desire brain network” will be examined. Brain structure will be compared between the groups of women, both at the whole-brain level and of specific regions of interest, which are selected based on previous differences pre-, peri-, and/or post-menopausal women. To investigate associated or influential factors of subjective and neural data (both functional and structural), we will collect sociodemographic as well as psychometric data on sexual function, sexual desire, sexual excitation/inhibition, body image, mood, emotion regulation, sleep, and menopausal symptoms. Additionally, different hormone levels (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), prolactin) will be assessed from blood samples. Eventually, this multilevel approach will allow a better characterization and understanding of sexual function and mental health within a major hormonal transition phase of the female lifespan

The German translation of the Oxford Utilitarianism Scale: validation and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the observations

The study of utilitarian inclinations is probably the most experimentally studied aspect of morality. The Oxford Utilitarianism Scale has been developed to provide a self-report tool for reliable measurement of utilitarian views while addressing serious methodological issues with previous measures. In this study, we have translated and validated a German version of the Oxford Utilitarianism Scale (OUS-DE). The scale consists of two subscales: Impartial Beneficence (IB-DE) and Instrumental Harm (IH-DE). We conducted validation and cross-validation procedures in two independent samples before (NS1 = 378, 243 women, Mage = 25.37) and after (NS2 = 348, 206 women, Mage = 24.61) the Covid-19 pandemic. A confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated a good fit of a two-factor model for OUS-DE, while internal consistency and construct reliability were acceptable in both samples. Sex/gender differences emerged in both samples, with women scoring significantly higher in the IB-DE subscale than men. We also found that mean agreement with the IB-DE subscale decreased after the pandemic. In a separate third sample (NS3 = 39, 19 women, Mage = 23.72), we observed an inverse U-shape relationship between moral behavior related to quarantine requirements and the IH-DE subscale, as measured during the peak pandemic restrictions in late 2020. Repeated OUS-DE measurement in this sample showed stability in responders’ utilitarian beliefs post-pandemic. In conclusion, OUS-DE is the first available measurement of utilitarian inclinations in German. The scale will enable further research on how utilitarian preconceptions affect behavior in German-speaking populations

Contextual factors of body dissatisfaction: A 10-week Ecological Momentary Assessment study

Trait body dissatisfaction (BD) represents a pivotal factor in the development and maintenance of eating disorders and is associated with a range of other mental health sequelae. While mostly studied as a trait, recent research indicates that BD fluctuates on a momentary basis, which is linked to alterations in other state factors. Since previous studies have solely focused on a single association with a specific factor, this pre-registered study evaluated state BD and a multitude of state factors simultaneously to examine both concurrent and prospective associations. Using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA), n = 92 female participants with high trait BD (m = 23.74 years, sd = 3.53) completed a short questionnaire on their own smartphones at three semi-random time points a day for 10 weeks. The query contained 51 items pertaining to state BD and hypothesized associated contextual factors. As hypothesized, we found significant concurrent associations of state BD with mood, rumination, acceptance, self-esteem, perceived stress, food intake, physical activity (duration), sleep quality and body checking. In exploratory analyses, concurrent associations with state BD were found for social media content, social comparisons (frequency and direction), craving, sexual motivation, body complaints and the mid-luteal phase. Mood, acceptance, self-esteem, perceived stress, social media (content), body checking, social comparisons (direction), craving and body complaints prospectively predicted state BD. When controlling for other time-lagged variables, social media content and sleep-quality predicted state BD within days. A variety of state-level factors are concurrently and prospectively associated with state BD in everyday life. This study is the first to enable direct comparisons between effects of different factors in an ecologically valid setting. Associated factors may contribute to the maintenance of BD as a state and, as a consequence, to the stabilization of trait BD in the long term. Implications for future research and development of interventions for state BD are discussed

Contextual factors of body dissatisfaction: A 10-week Ecological Momentary Assessment study

Trait body dissatisfaction (BD) represents a pivotal factor in the development and maintenance of eating disorders and is associated with a range of other mental health sequelae. While mostly studied as a trait, recent research indicates that BD fluctuates on a momentary basis, which is linked to alterations in other state factors. Since previous studies have solely focused on a single association with a specific factor, this pre-registered study evaluated state BD and a multitude of state factors simultaneously to examine both concurrent and prospective associations. Using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA), n = 92 female participants with high trait BD (m = 23.74 years, sd = 3.53) completed a short questionnaire on their own smartphones at three semi-random time points a day for 10 weeks. The query contained 51 items pertaining to state BD and hypothesized associated contextual factors. As hypothesized, we found significant concurrent associations of state BD with mood, rumination, acceptance, self-esteem, perceived stress, food intake, physical activity (duration), sleep quality and body checking. In exploratory analyses, concurrent associations with state BD were found for social media content, social comparisons (frequency and direction), craving, sexual motivation, body complaints and the mid-luteal phase. Mood, acceptance, self-esteem, perceived stress, social media (content), body checking, social comparisons (direction), craving and body complaints prospectively predicted state BD. When controlling for other time-lagged variables, social media content and sleep-quality predicted state BD within days. A variety of state-level factors are concurrently and prospectively associated with state BD in everyday life. This study is the first to enable direct comparisons between effects of different factors in an ecologically valid setting. Associated factors may contribute to the maintenance of BD as a state and, as a consequence, to the stabilization of trait BD in the long term. Implications for future research and development of interventions for state BD are discussed

The German translation of the Oxford Utilitarianism Scale: validation and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the observations

The study of utilitarian inclinations is probably the most experimentally studied aspect of morality. The Oxford Utilitarianism Scale has been developed to provide a self-report tool for reliable measurement of utilitarian views while addressing serious methodological issues with previous measures. In this study, we have translated and validated a German version of the Oxford Utilitarianism Scale (OUS-DE). The scale consists of two subscales: Impartial Beneficence (IB-DE) and Instrumental Harm (IH-DE). We conducted validation and cross-validation procedures in two independent samples before (NS1 = 378, 243 women, Mage = 25.37) and after (NS2 = 348, 206 women, Mage = 24.61) the Covid-19 pandemic. A confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated a good fit of a two-factor model for OUS-DE, while internal consistency and construct reliability were acceptable in both samples. Sex/gender differences emerged in both samples, with women scoring significantly higher in the IB-DE subscale than men. We also found that mean agreement with the IB-DE subscale decreased after the pandemic. In a separate third sample (NS3 = 39, 19 women, Mage = 23.72), we observed an inverse U-shape relationship between moral behavior related to quarantine requirements and the IH-DE subscale, as measured during the peak pandemic restrictions in late 2020. Repeated OUS-DE measurement in this sample showed stability in responders’ utilitarian beliefs post-pandemic. In conclusion, OUS-DE is the first available measurement of utilitarian inclinations in German. The scale will enable further research on how utilitarian preconceptions affect behavior in German-speaking populations

Personalizing profiles of contextual factors of body dissatisfaction – A proof-of-concept study (BoDis)

Body dissatisfaction (BD) is associated with various detrimental mental health consequences (Wang et al., 2019). While mostly studied as a trait, recent evidence suggests that BD also fluctuates as a state on a momentary basis, both in individuals with low and high BD (Fuller-Tyszkiewicz et al., 2018). Further, fluctuations in state BD are associated with different hormonal, psychological, behavioral as well as contextual factors (Drutschinin et al., 2018; Fioravanti et al., 2022; Haedt-Matt et al., 2012; Jappe &amp; Gardner, 2009; LePage &amp; Crowther, 2010; Naumann et al., 2018; Stefano et al., 2016). As some of these associations are moderated by trait factors such as trait body shame, trait affect, trait appearance comparisons, age or BMI (Colautti et al., 2011; Fuller-Tyszkiewicz et al., 2013), the main aim of the present study is to examine, if individual modeling of state body dissatisfaction of body dissatisfied individuals represents individual data better, than a general group model. Furthermore, we will investigate whether a reduction in trait BD can be achieved through targeted counseling including short exercises regarding one individual state factor that shows the strongest association with fluctuations in state BD (assuming a possible causal relationship). The aim would be to reduce the potentially reinforcing influence of these state factors on state BD and thus to improve trait BD in the long term. After assessment of fluctuation in state BD and several possible related factors (state mood, state rumination, state acceptance, state self-esteem, state perceived stress, subjective food intake, physical activity, social media usage, sleep quality, craving, body checking, social comparisons) three times a day over a period of 70 days (two menstrual cycles) in an ecological momentary assessment (EMA), participants will receive individual feedback