Negatively Biased Emotion Perception in Depression as a Contributing Factor to Psychological Aggression Perpetration: A Preliminary Study

ABSTRACT

Based on research linking depressive symptoms and intimate partner aggression perpetration with negatively biased perception of social stimuli, the present authors examined biased perception of emotional expressions as a mechanism in the frequently observed relationship between depression and psychological aggression perpetration. In all, 30 university students made valence ratings (negative to positive) of emotional facial expressions and completed measures of depressive symptoms and psychological aggression perpetration. As expected, depressive symptoms were positively associated with psychological aggression perpetration in an individual's current relationship, and this relationship was mediated by ratings of negative emotional expressions. These findings suggest that negatively biased perception of emotional expressions within the context of elevated depressive symptoms may represent an early stage of information processing that leads to aggressive relationship behaviors.

Keywords:

• affect recognition
• depressive symptoms
• intimate partner violence
• mood disorders
• partner abuse

Acknowledgments

Amy D. Marshall is supported by the National Institutes of Health's Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health (BIRCWH) program (1K12HD055882). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Notes

1. To examine alternative directional paths, we also tested two reverse mediation models. First, we examined depressive symptoms as a mediator of the link between ratings of negative emotional expressions and psychological aggression perpetration. The indirect path for this model was not statistically significant (M = −0.21, SE = 0.23; 95% CI = −0.776–0.133). Second, we examined psychological aggression perpetration as a mediator of the link between depressive symptoms and ratings of negative emotional expressions. The indirect path for this model also was not statistically significant (M = −0.02, SE = 0.01; 95% CI = −0.046–0.003).

2. We thank an anonymous reviewer for these suggestions.