Purpose of the Questionnaire

The Facial Emotion Recognition Test (FERT) aims to evaluate an individual’s ability to recognize basic emotions through facial expressions. It is widely used in neuropsychological, developmental, and psychiatric assessment, and is intended for adults, children, and adolescents. It is applied in autism spectrum disorders, mood disorders, schizophrenia, and neurological conditions. It measures both accuracy and reaction time in emotion recognition.

Questionnaire Analysis

The FERT was developed in the 1990s by Ekman and colleagues and is based on the well-known photo set Pictures of Facial Affect. It includes photographs of individuals expressing six basic emotions: happiness, sadness, anger, fear, disgust, and surprise, as well as neutral expressions. Participants are asked to choose the emotion that matches the facial expression they see. Variations of the test exist that include 42, 60, or 100 stimuli (photographs).

Scoring of Questions

Scoring is binary (correct/incorrect). The total number of correct answers corresponds to the overall performance. Subscores can be calculated for each emotion to identify specific recognition difficulties.

Statistical Analysis

Average performance in healthy populations ranges between 80%–95% recognition for most basic emotions. The emotions that are usually recognized with lower accuracy are sadness and fear. Statistical analysis also includes mean reaction times and assessment of gender or age differences.

Validity of the Questionnaire

The FERT has been shown to be valid in numerous studies, demonstrating strong construct and discriminant validity. It compares favorably with other measures of emotional recognition and is used internationally in diagnostic protocols.

Reliability of the Questionnaire

The reliability of the scale is high (test-retest reliability > 0.85), while internal consistency is also satisfactory (Cronbach’s alpha > 0.80 for most emotions). Reliability is maintained across different cultural and linguistic versions of the test.

References

Greek Literature
Karadimas, E. (2019). Emotional recognition and social cognition. Pēdio Publications.
Foreign Literature
Ekman, P., & Friesen, W.V. (1976). Pictures of Facial Affect. Palo Alto: Consulting Psychologists Press.
Tottenham, N. et al. (2009). The NimStim set of facial expressions: Judgments from untrained research participants. Psychiatry Research, 168, 242–249.
Adolphs, R. (2002). Recognizing emotion from facial expressions: psychological and neurological mechanisms. Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Reviews, 1(1), 21–62.