Contextually Unresponsive Facial Expressions of Happiness and Contempt As Predictors of Poor Adjustment to Spousal Loss.

Little is known about the mechanisms underlying prolonged grief, and why some people will struggle more than others after spousal death. This longitudinal study investigated whether individual differences in contextual responsivity of emotional expressions of happiness and contempt, across varied contexts, could predict longitudinal adjustment and psychopathology in bereavement.