1. Lecture Outline Components of Emotions Theories of Emotional Development Emotional Milestones Identifying Others’ Emotions and Understanding the Causes of Emotion

2. Components of Emotion: Motivation to act or goals (e.g., approach or avoidance) Physiological reactions (e.g., heart rate, hormone levels) Thoughts (cognitions) and feelings

3. Theories of Emotion Discrete Emotions Theory (Izard) –(Some) emotions are innate –Distinct emotions emerge very early in life –Each emotion corresponds to a particular set of facial/bodily expressions

4. Functionalist Theories –Basic function of emotions is to promote action toward a goal Ex: Fear –Goal is to avoid physical/psychological harm –Action: withdrawal –Emotions are influenced by the social/cultural environment and are not necessarily distinct early in life

5. Emotional Milestones Positive emotions –Social smiles: Smiles directed toward people Typically emerge between 2-3 months

6. Negative emotions –Distress reaction: Present from birth Occurs in response to multiple stressors (e.g., hunger, pain, etc.) –Disagreement about whether young infants experience distinct negative emotions (e.g., anger, sadness, fear) or if they simply experience distress

7. Fear –Little firm evidence of distinct fear reactions in young infants –At around 6-7 months, fear of strangers often develops –Other fears also present at around 7 months

8. –Separation Anxiety Distress due to separation from primary caregiver(s) –Develops around 8 months and continues until about 13- 15 months, then declines

9. Other negative emotions (anger, sadness) –Between 4-8 months, anger expressions become distinct from other negative emotions –Anger and sadness are often elicited by the same situations Exs: after a painful event; when infants can’t control events in their environment Anger expressions seem to occur more frequently in infants than sadness expressions

10. Self-conscious emotions –Embarrassment, pride, guilt, shame Emerge between 15-24 months Associated with recognition of self (rouge test)

11. Identifying Others’ Emotions Between 4 and 7 months, infants can discriminate some emotional expressions

12. At about 7 months, infants “match” facial expression of emotion with vocal expression (intermodal perception)

13. Between 8 and 12 months, some infants engage in social referencing –Use parents’ facial or vocal cues to interpret novel or ambiguous situations Ex: visual cliff

14. By age 3, children can label some facial expressions of emotion –Can distinguish happiness first –Learn to distinguish different negative emotions (anger, fear, sadness) in late preschool/early school years –Learn to identify self-conscious emotions by early to mid-elementary school years

15. Understanding Causes of Emotion Between 2 and 3, children can identify happy situations By age 4, can identify sad situations –Fear- and anger-inducing situations are harder, but children get better at identifying them over time

16. Lecture Outline Emotion Regulation –Definition –Normative Development Individual Differences in Emotion and Emotion Regulation –Temperament Temperament Dimensions Measurement of Temperament Temperament and Later Adjustment

17. Emotion Regulation

18. Normative Development of ER Role of Caregivers –Parents help infants and young children regulate negative emotions –Over time, infants and young children gradually become better able to regulate emotions independently

19. Use of cognitive strategies to regulate negative emotions increases with age –Ex: mental distraction; focus on positive aspects of a situation Use of more effective/appropriate strategies to regulate emotions increases with age

20. Individual Differences in Emotion and ER Temperament: Biologically based individual differences in emotional characteristics and other behaviors –Show consistency across situations –Relatively stable over time

21. Temperament Dimensions: –Fearful distress/Behavioral Inhibition –Irritable distress –Attention span/persistence –Activity level –Positive affect

22. Measurement of Temperament Parent report Structured Observation Psychophysiological Methods

23. Temperament and Later Adjustment “Difficult” temperament may include: –High irritable distress or fearful distress –Low attention span/persistence –High activity level –Low positive affect

24. Difficult temperament in infancy/preschool period is correlated with adjustment problems later in life (adolescence, adulthood)

25. Goodness-of-Fit –Degree to which a child’s temperament is compatible with the expectations of the social environment (including the family environment) Poor goodness-of-fit likely to result in adjustment problems for children