Decoding nonverbal emotional messages in brain-damaged patient

The ability to decode nonverbal emotional messages was investigated in right brain-damaged (RBD), left brain-damaged (LBD), and control group subjects. Dependent measures consisted of the Visual and Auditory Nonverbal Emotion Test (VANET), and two measures of more complex social situations which included the Expression Grouping and Cartoon Predictions tests. Results indicated that the RBD group scored significantly lower than the LBD and control group subjects on a composite score of the dependent measures. No significant differences were found between the LBD and control groups. No support was found for the lateralized hemispheric processing of positive and negative emotions. Research results did not support the findings of previous research which indicates that RBD patients score significantly lower than LBD patients in processing emotions of opposite polarity. The perception of nonverbal emotional facial displays and facial recognition were found to be separate abilities. Results of the current study support the superiority of the right hemisphere in processing more dynamic "life-like" visual and auditory nonverbal emotional messages.