Learning from facial expressions in individuals with Williams syndrome.
Facial feedback helps kids with Williams syndrome only under light loads—keep tasks simple or supply extra support.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Researchers tested how kids with Williams syndrome use happy or angry faces as feedback. They ran a case series in a lab setting.
The team compared the WS group to mental-age peers and younger typically developing kids. They kept the task simple, then added extra steps to raise the mental load.
What they found
With an easy task, the WS kids could learn from facial expressions. When the task got harder, the skill vanished.
Their pattern looked different from both comparison groups. More load meant no benefit from the happy or angry cues.
How this fits with other research
Matson et al. (2011) showed that WS learners process whole faces, not just parts. That strength lets them read expressions when the job is simple.
Waller et al. (2010) found wide executive-function and working-memory gaps in the same population. Those gaps likely explain why extra load wipes out the facial feedback benefit.
Diz et al. (2011) saw odd brain responses to emotional prosody in WS. Together the three papers paint a picture: social-emotion cues work only when the brain has spare room.
Why it matters
Check task difficulty before you use faces as feedback. Keep instructions short and distractions low. If the child must juggle steps, switch to clearer, non-face cues or add extra prompts. This keeps your teaching efficient and prevents wasted trials.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Despite high levels of social engagement, the social competence of individuals with Williams syndrome (WS) is frequently compromised. This descriptive study explores the ability of young people with WS to learn from facial expressions when provided as a source of feedback for their actions. METHOD: Using a novel task, the ability to interpret facial expressions and adapt behaviour after receiving feedback in the form of happy or angry faces was assessed in 12 participants with WS aged between 10 and 28 years and with a mean nonverbal mental age of 6.5 years, and in typically developing (TD) children aged between 4 and 7 years. RESULTS: Individuals with WS were able to use facial expressions as feedback in a manner commensurate with their mental age, only when other cognitive demands were low. Their performance profile differed from that of the TD children matched for mental age and from the performance profile of 4 year olds. CONCLUSIONS: Possible explanations for the unique performance profile observed in the participants with WS are discussed. The results highlight the need to examine social competencies in the context of the cognitive demands characteristic of social environments.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2016 · doi:10.1111/jir.12316