[Are visual and auditory perception modified in psychopathological assessment of expressive markers of psychiatric patients?].

The assessment of nonverbal expression (e.g. facial action, speech, body movements, etc.) are an important aspect of the diagnostic and prognostic process in psychiatric patients. By means of observer rating scales' expression is usually assessed on different observation levels. It appears that visual and auditory perception of expression interfere with one other. In the present study it was demonstrated, that ratings of certain attributes of expression was significantly more inconsistent in schizophrenic than in depressed patients, provided information was simultaneously displayed to both visual and auditory channels of perception. A "disintegration" of the components of expression in schizophrenics may explain why raters get differings impressions of the patient's overall expression. Moreover, the description of expressive behaviors seems to be influenced by diagnostic stereotypes. The development of a more objective method of assessment would therefore be promising.