@article{ref1,
title="Electromyographic evidence of reduced emotion mimicry in individuals with a history of non-suicidal self-injury",
journal="PLoS one",
year="2020",
author="Ziebell, Laura and Collin, Charles and Mazalu, Monica and Rainville, Stéphane and Weippert, Madyson and Skolov, Misha",
volume="15",
number="12",
pages="e0243860-e0243860",
abstract="Engaging in facial emotion mimicry during social interactions encourages empathy and  functions as a catalyst for interpersonal bonding. Decreased reflexive mirroring of  facial expressions has been observed in individuals with different non-psychotic  disorders, relative to healthy controls. Given reports of interpersonal relationship  difficulties experienced by those who engage in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), it  is of interest to explore facial emotion mimicry in individuals with a history of  this behaviour (HNSSI). Among other things, this will enable us to better understand  their emotion regulation and social interaction challenges. Surface facial  electromyography (fEMG) was used to record the reflexive facial mimicry of 30 HNSSI  and 30 controls while they passively observed a series of dynamic facial stimuli  showing various facial expressions of emotion. Beginning with a neutral expression,  the stimuli quickly morphed to one of 6 prototypic emotional expressions (anger,  fear, surprise, disgust, happiness, or sadness). Mimicry was assessed by affixing  surface electrodes to facial muscles known to exhibit a high degree of electrical  activity in response to positive and negative emotions: the corrugator supercilii  and the zygomaticus major. HNSSI participants, relative to controls, exhibited  significantly less electrical activity in the corrugator muscle in response to  viewing angry stimuli, and significantly less of an expected relaxation in muscle  activity in response to viewing happy stimuli. Mirroring these results, greater  endorsement of social influence as a motivator for engaging in NSSI was associated  with less mimicry, and greater endorsement of emotion regulation as a motivator was  associated with greater incongruent muscle response when viewing happy faces. These  findings lend support to the theory that social interaction difficulties in HNSSI  might be related to implicit violations of expected social rules exhibited through  facial mimicry nonconformity.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1932-6203",
doi="10.1371/journal.pone.0243860",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0243860"
}