We identified that autistic people had a specific difficulty recognizing anger, which we are starting to think may relate to differences in the way autistic and non-autistic people produce these expressions, said Connor Keating, a researcher in the University of Birmingham s School of Psychology and Centre for Human Brain Health. If this is true, it may not be accurate to talk about autistic people as having an impairment or deficit in recognizing emotion it s more that autistic and non-autistic faces may be speaking a different language when it comes to conveying emotion.
The researchers also discovered that people with a related condition, alexithymia, tend to interpret all types of expressions as more intensely emotional than they actually are.
There have been demands for cancellation of Olympics and Paralympics over fears of spreading Covid-19. But the study has said that Games can go ahead provided restrictions are implemented.
Very often throughout the history of art, the tendency to reproduce reality as faithfully as possible has been set against the opposite need to let emotions .
Wellbeing on demand
Imagine having a wellbeing coach available 24/7 who can reliably improve your mood. You never feel judged, the coach is always on top form, and sessions are tailored to your personality to keep you mentally well.
Dr Hatice Gunes hopes to make this vision a reality – in machine form. A Reader in Affective Intelligence and Robotics at the University of Cambridge’s Department of Computer Science and Technology, she wants to create emotionally intelligent robots that can help make us more resilient to life’s challenges.
“The need for mental wellbeing support just keeps growing,” says Gunes. “I have worked with many people experiencing mental health challenges, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only escalated the problem.”