Accuracy and speed in facial emotion recognition in children, adolescents, and adults

Socio-emotional information processing includes skills to perceive, interpret, and understand emotions with social valence. Although there is a long tradition in its study, research based on the emotional labeling paradigm remains unclear regarding the relationship between facial expression recognition and development, prioritizing accuracy analysis over processing speed. This study aimed to characterize the recognition of basic emotions in preschoolers, children, adolescents, and adults, while simultaneously assessing accuracy and processing speed. The sample consisted of 315 participants of both sexes, aged 4 to 55 years. Socio-emotional processing was assessed using a digitized and adapted version of Pictures of Facial Affect, which recorded accuracy and reaction times. Group differences were found in the processing of different basic facial emotions, but overall better performance was found in early adulthood or adolescence, depending on the accuracy or processing speed variable, respectively. While the speed of socio-emotional information processing exhibits a gradual, progressive, and homogeneous development - in accordance with neuroanatomical maturation - differences found regarding the accuracy variable are relatively dissimilar, showing greater susceptibility to changes shaped by the social context. These novel findings allow for the addition of empirically rigorous information to foster debate on the development of socio-emotional skills, representing a contribution to both basic and applied scientific fields.