New research findings from Witten/Herdecke University: How well do we sense our own feelings?

Everyone knows it: We smile unconsciously when we see something beautiful or frown when we have doubts about something. Our facial muscles often react to emotions before we consciously feel them. These unconscious reactions are part of what is known as affective awareness, which describes the perception and processing of emotions. Christopher Heine and Prof Dr Michael Dufner from the Chair of Personality Psychology and Diagnostics at Witten/Herdecke University (UW/H) have investigated how affective awareness is related to mental illness.

For the study, they showed 76 emotional images to 256 participants. The participants rated their feelings while their facial muscles were measured using electromyography (EMG). Specifically, the zygomaticus muscle (responsible for the smile) and the corrugator muscle (which triggers the frown) were analysed.

In a further task, the participants were then asked to recognise the emotions in the faces of other people. The result: people whose emotions and facial expressions are more in harmony also recognise other people's emotions better.

Understanding mental illness better

"Our research shows that some people are better at recognising emotions," explains Christoph Heine. "Being able to perceive emotions also means being able to categorise them better - which is known to help reduce stress, improve relationships and strengthen mental well-being in the long term."

The results could therefore also help to better understand mental illnesses such as depression or eating disorders. Those affected often find it difficult to recognise and process their own emotions. However, those who are able to categorise their emotional reactions well often make healthier decisions and react more appropriately to stressful situations.

The method from the study could be further developed and used in so-called neurocognitive training programmes. These are exercises that specifically promote thought processes and perception, for example attention, memory or understanding one's own feelings. This could help patients in therapy to better recognise their emotional reactions - and strengthen their mental stability.

Differences between women and men

Another finding of the study was that women tended to show a higher level of affective awareness than men. Whether this difference is biological or related to upbringing remains unclear. The researchers want to investigate this question further in future studies.