Using the Intelligence of the Experiential Mind in Decoding Facial Expressions

Journal Title: Journal of Experiential Psychotherapy - Year 2018, Vol 21, Issue 1

Abstract

Introduction: The ability to accurately perceive facial expressions can predetermine a few highly important adaptive functions, and the information acquired can promote efficient interpersonal behaviour that maximizes social outcomes. We used the concept known as ‘the intelligence of the experiential mind’, introduced by Epstein in the cognitive experiential self-theory – CEST, a theory of the mind that offers a whole new perspective in developing and understanding emotional intelligence. Objectives: Our study aims at investigating and explaining to what extent does one’s experiential intelligence influence his/her capacity of decoding emotions showed through facial expressions. We have captured an already existing relationship between constructive thinking (the operationalization of the intelligence of the experiential mind), and performance in recognizing the value of emotions transmitted through facial expressions. Methods: Constructive thinking, or the intelligence of the experiential mind, was assessed by the Constructive-Thinking Inventory (CTI) (Epstein, 1998). The Reading of the Mind in the Eyes test was used (Baron-Cohen et al., 2001) to measure the participants’ ability to identify emotions. Results: The result of the statistical analysis showed that the adjusted R² was equal to 0.512, which means that the intelligence of one’s experiential mind accounts for 51.2 % of one’s performance in identifying the emotions rendered by facial expressions. Conclusions: The originality and novelty of our study – compared to the existing literature – was the focus on empirically validating the theoretical framework regarding performance predictors in recognizing facial expressions and their meaning – with the help of a modern emotional intelligence theory, focused on automatic, preconscious intelligence, and the information the individual learns, without really being aware of learning. A possible follow-up of our study could explore the differences between the predictive value of constructive thinking and other tests/dimensions that might be performance predictors in decoding emotions rendered by facial expressions.

Authors and Affiliations

Ioana M. Neagoe

Keywords

Related Articles

Fractals and Personal Esthetic Preferences – Indicators of Personality Traits

Introduction: Fractals are geometric shapes, usually generated with the help of the computer. The output consists of self-repetitive, auto-similar, complex and abstract representations of the natural world. This means th...

Teacher’s Personality and the Burnout Syndrome

Introduction. Ever since the 1980s, stress and burnout have become serious issues affecting millions of workers (Farber, 1983). Due to its stressful nature, teaching profession is a target of burnout (Cherniss, 1980, Jar...

The Creative Meditation Technique as a Psychological Tool in Acquiring Defensive Driving Skills

Introduction: The Unifying Creative Meditation, used as an emotions carrier, becomes an access gate towards the cognitive area of the brain and it helps establishing some pieces of knowledge meant to keep the participant...

Journal of Experiential Psychotherapy, vol. 12, no. (3) 47, September 2009

Vol. 12, no. (3) 47, September 2009: see more at http://jep.ro/en/2009

Aspects Regarding the Reliability of the Translated and Adapted Version of the Gay/Lesbian Identity Scale

Introduction: Sexual identity has been studied during the last years as a complex dimension of human sexuality, referring to how a person constructs and defines his or her Sexual Self. Sexual identity includes not only t...

Download PDF file
  • EP ID EP289622
  • DOI -
  • Views 86
  • Downloads 0

How To Cite

Ioana M. Neagoe (2018). Using the Intelligence of the Experiential Mind in Decoding Facial Expressions. Journal of Experiential Psychotherapy, 21(1), 46-54. https://europub.co.uk/articles/-A-289622