Angry, Sad, or Scared? Within-valence Mapping of Emotion Words to Facial and Body Cues in 2 to 4-Year-Old Children

The acquisition of emotion words is critical to children's socio-emotional development. Previous studies report that children acquire emotion words gradually during ages 3-5 and beyond. The majority of this work, however, has used demanding tasks for young children (e.g., asking children to label emotion-related facial configurations) and has predominantly relied on facial configurations. Here we designed a child-friendly, word-comprehension task incorporating both facial configurations and body language. In two preregistered online experiments, we asked two to four-year-olds (N = 96) to connect emotion words-happy, sad, angry, and scared-to either facial configurations (Experiment 1) or combined facial and body cues (Experiment 2). We found relatively early competence in understanding emotion words, especially those of the same-valence. All age groups, including 2-year-olds, successfully linked emotion words to corresponding facial configurations (Experiment 1). Experiment 2 replicated this pattern and further showed that children performed equally well (though not substantially better) when given additional body cues. Parental reports of children's exposure to and use of masks during the COVID-19 pandemic did not correlate with children's performance in either experiment. Even before children can produce emotion words in an adult-like manner, they possess at least a partial understanding of those words and can map them to emotion cues within valence domains. © 2023 University of California Press. All rights reserved.

Perspectives of online anatomy teachers: A neglected study population struggles with the invisible student.

Online teachers are an under-researched population, but their perspectives are crucial to the successful implementation of online education. A fully online section of an established face-to-face (F2F) two-semester undergraduate anatomy course with a prosection laboratory commenced in 2012 at The University of Western Ontario, Canada. Professors' lectures for F2F students were broadcast in live and archived format to online students using Blackboard Collaborate (BBC) video conferencing software. Teaching assistants (TAs) delivered online laboratories using BBC and three-dimensional (3D) anatomical computer models. This study explored the common experiences and issues faced by the course teachers from 2012 to 2014. Transcripts from open-ended, individual interviews with professors (n = 4) and TAs (n = 5) were coded and analyzed thematically. The teachers' concern for their inability to see the students during sessions to assess class engagement and their teaching effectiveness, and to develop social relationships, was the main finding. However, video conferencing software and email were sufficient communication methods for the students' questions and the teachers' answers. The TAs noted usability challenges and anatomical inaccuracies in the 3D models compared to cadavers. Due to limitations of BBC's screen sharing function, live manipulation for the 3D computer models was not possible; however, the TAs found pedagogical value in using screen captures of the models for drawing activities with the students. Overall, preparation time for teaching online was longer than for F2F. The study's findings provide science educators with issues to consider when preparing for online teaching and recommendations to optimize the teaching experience.

Quality of the therapeutic relationship and nonverbal interaction in videoconferencing psychotherapy. Systematic review

Background: Due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic the importance of videoconferencing psychotherapy (VCP) has considerably increased. Although the effectiveness of VCP is well documented by numerous therapy outcome studies, reservations from clinicians' perspectives are still common. They relate in particular to the limited possibilities for the formation of a relationship and the absence of a physical co-presence in the video setting. Objective: This article provides an overview of the empirical findings on the quality of the therapeutic relationship as well as on the nature of nonverbal interaction in VCP. Methods: The MEDLINE, APA PsycArticles, APA PsycInfo, and PSYNDEX databases were searched for controlled studies that examined the therapeutic relationship in VCP compared to face-to-face therapy. Another literature search was conducted for studies of nonverbal interaction in VCP. Results: The results show that the quality of the therapeutic relationship in VCP is comparable to that in face-to-face therapy. The interaction in VCP has so far only been described in qualitative studies. In interviews patients and therapists report an increase in verbal and nonverbal activity in VCP. For therapeutic work, changes with respect to being silent and understanding of body language are highlighted. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge no studies exist that explain why a comparatively successful relationship structure can be established, despite the changes and limitations associated with the mediation of interaction in VCP. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (German) Hintergrund: Die Bedeutung der videobasierten Psychotherapie (VBT) hat unter dem Einfluss der COVID-19-Pandemie erheblich zugenommen. Obwohl die Wirksamkeit der VBT inzwischen gut belegt ist, bestehen bei klinisch tatigen Psychotherapeut*innen Vorbehalte, die sich auf die eingeschrankten Moglichkeiten der Beziehungsgestaltung und den Entzug der physischen Koprasenz beziehen. Ziel der Arbeit: Der vorliegende Beitrag bietet eine Ubersicht uber die empirischen Befunde zur Qualitat der therapeutischen Beziehung sowie zur Beschaffenheit der nonverbalen Interaktion in der VBT. Methoden: In den Datenbanken MEDLINE, APA PsycArticles, APA PsycInfo und PSYNDEX wurde nach kontrollierten Studien, die Unterschiede in der therapeutischen Beziehung zwischen VBT und Face-to-Face-Therapie zum Thema hatten, gesucht. Eine weitere Literatursuche wurde uber Studien zur nonverbalen Interaktion in der VBT durchgefuhrt. Ergebnisse: Die Qualitat der therapeutischen Beziehung in der VBT ist der in Faceto- Face-Therapien vergleichbar. Die Interaktion in der VBT wurde bis dato nur durch qualitative Studien beschrieben. In Interviews berichten Patient*innen und Therapeut*innen von einer Steigerung der verbalen und nonverbalen Aktivitat in der VBT. Fur die therapeutische Arbeit werden Veranderungen in Bezug auf das Schweigen und das Verstehen der Korpersprache herausgestellt. Schlussfolgerung: Es existieren noch keine Studien, die erklaren, weshalb trotz der Veranderungen und Einschrankungen, die mit der medialen Vermittlung der Interaktion in der VBT einhergehen, dennoch eine vergleichsweise erfolgreiche Beziehungsgestaltung moglich ist. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

An Analysis of Body Language of Patients Using Artificial Intelligence.

In recent decades, epidemic and pandemic illnesses have grown prevalent and are a regular source of concern throughout the world. The extent to which the globe has been affected by the COVID-19 epidemic is well documented. Smart technology is now widely used in medical applications, with the automated detection of status and feelings becoming a significant study area. As a result, a variety of studies have begun to focus on the automated detection of symptoms in individuals infected with a pandemic or epidemic disease by studying their body language. The recognition and interpretation of arm and leg motions, facial recognition, and body postures is still a developing field, and there is a dearth of comprehensive studies that might aid in illness diagnosis utilizing artificial intelligence techniques and technologies. This literature review is a meta review of past papers that utilized AI for body language classification through full-body tracking or facial expressions detection for various tasks such as fall detection and COVID-19 detection, it looks at different methods proposed by each paper, their significance and their results.

Expresión corporal, danza y esclerosis múltiple: beneficios emocionales en una intervención durante la contingencia de la COVID-19 (Body language, dance and multiple sclerosis: emotional benefits in an intervention during the COVID-19 contingency)

Body language and creative dance are areas of practice that can offer multiple health benefits in people with multiple sclerosis, what involves a neurological disease that causes physical, emotional and social impediments. Motivated by a person who suffers from this disease and who was willing and in the need of feeling more active and emotionally better, a program of expressive and dance activities was designed, taking into account her particular context and the need to maintain a social distance to preserve her health in times of COVID-19, being a challenge to design the intervention to be done independently and remotely. The present study explored the experience of this person while she was participating in this six-week program of expressive-corporal practices with the aim of knowing her emotional well-being during the proposals. After each session, virtual interviews were conducted with the participant to understand how she had felt, using visual narratives from photographs as metaphors. In general, the participant agreed that the experience made her feel better, especially from an emotional point of view. Specifically, the program provided her with the opportunity to share new ways of communicating with her family, to feel physically active again, to take an interest in artistic body practices, and to become aware of her emotions. Alternate : La expresión corporal y la danza son ámbitos de práctica que pueden ofrecer múltiples beneficios para la salud en personas que padecen esclerosis múltiple, una enfermedad neurológica que provoca limitaciones tanto físicos como afectivos y sociales. Motivado por una persona que padece esta enfermedad y que tenía disponibilidad y necesidad de sentirse más activa y mejor, se diseñó un programa adaptado de actividades expresivas y danza que tuviese en cuenta su contexto particular, y con la dificultad añadida de mantener un distanciamiento social para preservar su salud en tiempos de la COVID-19. Supuso un desafío mayor diseñar la intervención para que se pudiera llevar a cabo de manera autónoma y remota. El presente estudio exploró el bienestar emocional durante la experiencia vivida de esta persona mientras participaba en este programa de seis semanas. Tras cada sesión, se realizaron entrevistas virtuales con la participante para comprender cómo se había sentido, utilizando el uso de narrativas visuales a partir de fotografías usadas como metáforas. En general, la participante estuvo de acuerdo en que la experiencia la hacía sentirse mejor. Específicamente, el programa le proporcionó la oportunidad de compartir nuevos modos de comunicarse con sus familiares, sentirse de nuevo físicamente activa, interesarse por las prácticas corporales artísticas y tomar conciencia de sus emociones.Alternate :A expressão corporal e a dança são áreas de prática que podem oferecer múltiplos benefícios à saúde de pessoas que sofrem de esclerose múltipla, uma doença neurológica que causa limitações físicas, afetivas e sociais. Motivado por uma pessoa que sofre desta doença e que estava disponível e precisava de se sentir mais ativa e melhor, foi concebido um programa adaptado de atividades expressivas e dança que teve em conta o seu contexto particular e com a dificuldade acrescida de manter o distanciamento social por preserve sua saúde em tempos de COVID-19. Foi um grande desafio desenhar a intervenção de forma a que pudesse ser realizada de forma autónoma e remota. O presente estudo explorou o bem-estar emocional durante a experiência vivida dessa pessoa enquanto participava deste programa de seis semanas. Após cada sessão, foram realizadas entrevistas virtuais com a participante para compreender como ela havia se sentido, utilizando narrativas visuais baseadas em fotografias utilizadas como metáforas. De modo geral, a participante concordou que a experiência a fez se sentir melhor. Especificamente, o programa deu a ela a oportunidade de compartilhar novas formas de se comunicar com seus familiares, voltar a se sentir fi icamente ativa, se interessar por práticas artísticas corporais e tomar consciência de suas emoções.

Body Language Analysis in Healthcare: An Overview.

Given the current COVID-19 pandemic, medical research today focuses on epidemic diseases. Innovative technology is incorporated in most medical applications, emphasizing the automatic recognition of physical and emotional states. Most research is concerned with the automatic identification of symptoms displayed by patients through analyzing their body language. The development of technologies for recognizing and interpreting arm and leg gestures, facial features, and body postures is still in its early stage. More extensive research is needed using artificial intelligence (AI) techniques in disease detection. This paper presents a comprehensive survey of the research performed on body language processing. Upon defining and explaining the different types of body language, we justify the use of automatic recognition and its application in healthcare. We briefly describe the automatic recognition framework using AI to recognize various body language elements and discuss automatic gesture recognition approaches that help better identify the external symptoms of epidemic and pandemic diseases. From this study, we found that since there are studies that have proven that the body has a language called body language, it has proven that language can be analyzed and understood by machine learning (ML). Since diseases also show clear and different symptoms in the body, the body language here will be affected and have special features related to a particular disease. From this examination, we discovered that it is possible to specialize the features and language changes of each disease in the body. Hence, ML can understand and detect diseases such as pandemic and epidemic diseases and others.

Multi-Modal Sarcasm Detection in Social Networks: A Comparative Review

Sentiment Analysis (SA) has become an extremely sought after area of research especially post COVID-19 when people used to spent a lot of time on the social media to interact with each other. This interaction was done through posts having both textual and visual cues and also by participating in online discussions forums. Some of the inherent challenges encountered in the process of SA include discernment of sarcasm, irony, humor, negation, multi-polarity or Aspect-Level Sentiment Analysis (ASA) etc. Researchers are now gradually shifting their focus to the identification and detection of sarcasm and how it can empower SA. Sarcasm expresses a person's downside feelings by using positive words in an implicit way. It also has an overall impact on increasing the efficiency of the SA models. Eliciting sarcastic statements is tough for humans as well as for machines without the knowledge of the context or background in which it is expressed, body language and/or facial expression of the speaker and his voice modulation. This review paper studies some of the approaches used for sarcasm detection and also guides researchers in exploring the different modalities of data for developing applications like a virtual chat-bot or assistant, depression analysis, stress management system at workplace etc. © 2022 IEEE.