Changing Perception: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Emotion Recognition Training to Reduce Anger and Aggression in Violent Offenders

Objective: The objective of this study is to determine whether emotion recognition training, which previously proved to be effective in adolescents, also reduces anger and aggression in adult violent offenders. 

Method: Detained male adults were randomized to complete either a 1-week computer training designed to promote the perception of happiness over anger in ambiguous facial expressions (n = 46), or a sham training control procedure (n = 44). Outcome measures were collected immediately after training and at 6-week follow-up. These measures included the number of faces that were rated as happy rather than angry and self-reported as well as observed measures of hostility, aggression and pro-social behavior. The linear regression analyses were statistically corrected for age and presence of (mild) intellectual disability. 

Results: The training procedure was highly effective in promoting the perception of happiness over anger in the training group as compared with the controls, independent of age or intelligence (95% confidence intervals [-4.6, -2.8], p <.001). These training effects remained at 6 weeks posttraining (95% confidence intervals [-3.4, -1.8], p <.001). There was no significant change in measures of aggression and hostility, or pro-social behavior. 

Conclusions: In contrast to two previous studies with adolescent samples, the present study showed no meaningful impact of the training procedure on aggression in adult offenders, even though the training was effective in altering emotion perception.