Perception of Facially and Vocally Expressed Emotions in Children with Adhd

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a diagnosis applied to children and adults who show serious cognitive problems and behavioral disturbances in essential aspects of their life. These problems can be divided into three characteristic syndromes: impulsive, hyperactive and inattentive. One of the characteristics of behavior of children with ADHD is oversensitivity, associated with inappropriate reaction to emotional situations, resulting from two different sources: incorrect interpretation of the emotions of others, and high emotional liability. Perception of the emotional aspect of the message strongly determines the interpretation of the sender's intention towards the receiver and the sense of the interaction. In our research we wanted to determine whether pupils with hyperactivity differ from their peers in their perception of facially and vocally expressed emotions. There were 60 participants of the research – 30 pupils with ADHD aged 89 and control group. The obtained data show the existence of essential differences in the level of correct perception of mimic emotion signals between hyperactive children and control group. The responses from children with ADHD were less precise, especially when concerning the mimics. The most correctly perceived were facial and vocal signals of joy and sorrow, although the children with ADHD had the smallest problem with the recognition of positive emotions. This should be taken into consideration when planning the therapy – rewards, emotions and positive reinforcement seem to be better received by hyperactive children and can function as directions regulating behavior better than penalties. PERCEPTION OF FACIALLY AND VOCALLY EXPRESSED EMOTIONS IN CHILDREN WITH ADHD