Emotion Recognition Ability, Metacognition, and Metaemotion:A Multimodal Online-Assessment of Swedish Adults

Abstract: Data obtained in laboratory settings is a valid but resource-demanding approach. Moreover, although aspects of both metacognition and metaemotion have been proposed to be important for socioemotional functioning, such associations have rarely been studied previously. This study aimed to examine the feasibility of a multimodal online-assessment of emotion recognition ability, and to investigate its associations with metacognition and metaemotion. The sample consisted of 106 students from three Swedish universities. The online-survey included a multimodal emotion recognition test (ERAM) with added trial-by-trial confidence judgments (to measure metacognition) and questionnaires related to metaemotion. Online-data showed great consistency with previous data collected in lab. Well-calibrated adults had higher emotion recognition accuracy than under-confident adults. Higher levels of negative metaemotions were associated with higher emotion recognition accuracy. In conclusion, online-assessments of emotional abilities may be a useful approach. Further research is required to understand relationships between metacognition, metaemotion, and emotion recognition ability more fully.