Validity of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test in a Brazilian Sample

The Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) is internationally used to assess emotional perception, but there are few validity studies with Brazilian samples. The test was answered by 1440 participants, along with the Computerized Test of Primary Emotions Perception (PEP), and abstract (AR) and verbal reasoning (VR) tasks. RMET items were studied with Rasch model. Results indicate that its items are concentrated at a lower level of difficulty, lacking difficult items to assess higher levels of emotional perception. Both RMET and PEP showed significant correlations with AR and VR, corroborating other studies showing emotional perception is related to other types of intelligence. However the correlation between RMET and PEP was lower than expected (r = .43), suggesting perception of emotions in the eyes is only partially related to perception in the whole face.La Reading theMind in theEyes Test (RMET) se utiliza internacionalmente para evaluar la percepción emocional, pero son pocos los estudios de validez con muestras brasileñas. La prueba fue respondida por 1440 participantes, junto con la Prueba Computarizada de Percepción de Emociones Primarias (PEP), y tareas de razonamiento abstracto (RA) y verbal (RV). Los ítems de la RMET fueron estudiados con el modelo de Rasch. Los resultados indicaron que sus elementos se concentran en un nivel inferior de dificultad, corto de ítems difíciles de evaluar niveles superiores de percepción emocional. Tanto RMET como PEP mostraron correlaciones significativas con RA y RV, corroborando otros estudios que muestran que la percepción emocional está relacionada con otros tipos de inteligencia. Sin embargo, la correlación entre RMET y PEP fue menor que lo esperado (r = 0,43), lo que sugiere que percepción de emociones en los ojos está sólo parcialmente relacionada con percepción en toda la cara.O Reading theMind in theEyes Test (RMET) é utilizado internacionalmente para avaliação da percepção emocional, mas são poucos os estudosde validade com amostras brasileiras. O teste foi respondido por 1440 participantes, juntamente com o Teste Informatizado de Percepção de Emoções Primárias (PEP) e provas de raciocínio abstrato (RA) e verbal (RV). Os itens do RMET foram estudados com modelo de Rasch. Os resultados indicaram que os itens estão concentrados em um nível menor de dificuldade, com falta de itens difíceis para avaliar níveis mais altos de percepção emocional. Tanto o RMET quanto o PEP mostraram correlações significativas com RA e RV, corroborando estudos que mostram que percepção emocional está relacionada a outros tipos de inteligência. Contudo a correlação entre RMET e PEP foi menor do que esperada (r=0,43), sugerindo que percepção de emoção nos olhos está apenas parcialmente relacionada a percepção na face inteira

Validity of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test in a Brazilian Sample

Abstract: The Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) is internationally used to assess emotional perception, but there are few validity studies with Brazilian samples. The test was answered by 1440 participants, along with the Computerized Test of Primary Emotions Perception (PEP), and abstract (AR) and verbal reasoning (VR) tasks. RMET items were studied with Rasch model. Results indicate that its items are concentrated at a lower level of difficulty, lacking difficult items to assess higher levels of emotional perception. Both RMET and PEP showed significant correlations with AR and VR, corroborating other studies showing emotional perception is related to other types of intelligence. However the correlation between RMET and PEP was lower than expected (r = .43), suggesting perception of emotions in the eyes is only partially related to perception in the whole face

Facial feedback: Limited effect for videos of opposite emotions

To prove the hypothesis of facial feedback (FF) for opposite emotional stimuli, 30 participants viewed a happy video, with 15 of the participant posing a sad expression; another 30 participants viewed a sad video, with 15 posing a joyful expression. Levels of joy, sadness, anger and anxiety were recorded before and after the videos. All observers of the happy video showed a decrease in sadness, but those who posed for sadness expressed lesser decrease. For their part, participants who posed joy during the sad video recorded an increase in anger and anxiety, attributed to having to pose for joy. No evidence was found that FF can counteract the effects of an intense emotional stimulus. The evidence related to the controlling of the intensity of an opposite emotion was also limited. The study found that posing for joy while undergoing sadness could provoke other negative emotions. The study questions the practical usefulness of FF

Facial feedback: Limited effect for videos of opposite emotions

To test facial feedback (FF) hypothesis, 30 participants watched a happy video, with 15 posing a sad expression; other 30 participants watched a sad video, with 15 posing joy. They reported levels of joy, sadness, anger, and anxiety before and after the videos. Participants posing sadness displayed a lower decrease in sadness; participants posing joy displayed increase in anger and anxiety, attributed to having to pose to a sad video. We found no evidence that FF could overrule a present emotion, and limited evidence that it could lower the intensity of an opposite emotion. We question the practical utility of FF

Validity of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test in a Brazilian Sample

Abstract: The Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) is internationally used to assess emotional perception, but there are few validity studies with Brazilian samples. The test was answered by 1440 participants, along with the Computerized Test of Primary Emotions Perception (PEP), and abstract (AR) and verbal reasoning (VR) tasks. RMET items were studied with Rasch model. Results indicate that its items are concentrated at a lower level of difficulty, lacking difficult items to assess higher levels of emotional perception. Both RMET and PEP showed significant correlations with AR and VR, corroborating other studies showing emotional perception is related to other types of intelligence. However the correlation between RMET and PEP was lower than expected (r = .43), suggesting perception of emotions in the eyes is only partially related to perception in the whole face