Tunnetest

Tunnetest is a term used in Finnish psychology to refer to assessments that measure an individual's ability to recognize emotions in others. The tests typically present stimuli such as facial expressions, voice prosody, or social scenes, and require the participant to label the emotion or select the appropriate category. The concept aligns with broader constructs of emotion recognition and social cognition.

Common formats include facial emotion recognition tasks using static images or dynamic videos; auditory emotion recognition assessments that rely on tone of voice; and multimodal tasks combining facial and vocal cues. Some tests provide intensity ratings or reaction-time data. Administration is usually computerized but may be paper-based in some settings. Scoring yields accuracy and speed, with normative benchmarks by age and, in some cases, by sex or cultural group.

Tunnetest are used in research on social cognition and in clinical assessment to characterize impairments in populations such as autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, traumatic brain injury, mood disorders, and neurodegenerative conditions. They can aid differential diagnosis, track changes over time, or evaluate treatment effects. In educational settings, they may be used to study emotion literacy and empathy development.

Psychometric properties vary by test; reliability and validity depend on standardized stimuli and normative data. Cross-cultural validity is a concern, as emotion interpretation can differ across cultures. Limitations include reliance on posed expressions that may not reflect real-life emotion perception and potential ceiling effects in healthy adults. Ongoing research aims to improve ecological validity and standardization.