1 Acknowledgments Brian AckermanGeorge Bear Sam BlumbergFrank Boxwill Eric YoungstromJen Kogos Youngstrom David SchultzSarah Fine Allison MostowChristopher Trentacosta Kristen KingFran Haskins Margaret Feerick Jenny Anderson Dante CicchettiMichael Morrow 100s of UGRAs 600 Children and their Parents and Preschool Teachers (mostly ECAP and Head Start)

2 Accelerating the Development of Emotion Competence: Overview The centrality of emotions, emotion knowledge (EK), emotion regulation (ER), and emotion utilization (EU) in development and functioning The centrality of emotions, emotion knowledge (EK), emotion regulation (ER), and emotion utilization (EU) in development and functioning The development and correlates of EK The development and correlates of EK The Effects of an Emotions Course on children living in poverty: Increased EK, ER, EU, and the self-regulation of negative behavior The Effects of an Emotions Course on children living in poverty: Increased EK, ER, EU, and the self-regulation of negative behavior Explanations of Emotion Course effects Explanations of Emotion Course effects

3 I. Emotions Drive All Personally and Socially Significant Behavior. II. Without Emotions, We Would Have No: - Stable sense of self- Empathy - Enduring relationships- Altruism - Conscience- Values - Morality- Goals III. We Can Have Them All by Modulating and Utilizing Emotion Motivation Claims of an Emotion Theory Zealot:

4 Emotions in Perspective EMOTIONS Emotionality/ Temperament/ Personality Cognition Action

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7 Early Emergence and Functionality of Emotion Expressions EmotionAge/MoFunction EmotionAge/MoFunction Interest0 - 1Exploration/Lrng Interest0 - 1Exploration/Lrng Joy2 - 3 Broadens & Builds Resources Joy2 - 3 Broadens & Builds Resources Sadness3 - 5Elicits Empathy Sadness3 - 5Elicits Empathy Anger3 - 5Action vs. Restraints Anger3 - 5Action vs. Restraints Fear9 - 11Protection/safety Fear9 - 11Protection/safety

8 Infants’ Emotion Competencies: By Age 3- 5 Months, Infants Can: 1. Encode and decode some basic emotion expressions 1. Encode and decode some basic emotion expressions 2. Protest the loss of animation/expression in mother’s face 2. Protest the loss of animation/expression in mother’s face 3. Discriminate mother’s expressions of sadness and anger 3. Discriminate mother’s expressions of sadness and anger 4. Respond differentially to these expressions 4. Respond differentially to these expressions

9 Emotion/Language-Based Competencies: Age 2-3 Years 1. Limited emotion vocabulary 2. Limited ability to: match a key expression with one in a set of four match a key expression with one in a set of four match an emotion expression and an eliciting stimulus match an emotion expression and an eliciting stimulus match a pictorial and verbal representation on an emotion match a pictorial and verbal representation on an emotion produce verbal labels for facial expressions produce verbal labels for facial expressions [Emotion Matching Task (EMT)] Moreover, poverty and its co-factors delays the development of all these processes

10 Emotion Recognition and Emotion Labeling for French (N=140) and American N (ER) =286; N (EL) =281) children. Chronological Age Mean Score Izard, The face of emotion (1971)

11 Growth in Understanding of Situational Cues of Emotions: Shame Percentage of Items Correct Fine, Izard, et al. (2003) Development and Psychopathology

12 Development of Emotion Knowledge and Social Skills: Early to Middle Childhood

13 Emotion Knowledge, Social Skills, and Peer Acceptance – Achieving Emotion Competence: Middle to late Childhood Mostow, A. & Izard, C. (Submitted, 4/05)

14 Anger Happiness Aggression.76 Anger Happiness Emotion Processing Risk Index.94 Aggression.70 A Risk Index That Includes EK and Empathy Mediated the Effect of Trait Emotionality on Aggression.38* -.25*.37* * -.22*.26* Schultz, Izard, & Bear (2004) Development and Psychopathology

15 Emotion Knowledge (EK) Predicts Social and Academic Competence: Emotion Knowledge Izard et al. (2001) Psychological Science Verbal Ability Academic Competence Head Start EK mediates the effect of verbal ability on first grade academic performance.61 (eq. 1).39 (eq. 2).11 (eq. 3).36 (eq. 3)

16 Emotion Knowledge, Social Skills, and Academic Competence Middle Childhood Late Childhood Verbal Ability Emotion Knowledge Social Skills Academic Competence β =.16 β =.36 β =.26 β =.20 Trentacosta, Mostow, & Izard (2005), SRCD Poster

17 Theoretical Framework for the Emotions Course. Emotions: 1. Are part of our biology and culture 2. Are part of temperament and personality 3. Serve critical developmental functions 4. Facilitate the development of relationships, empathy, morality 5. Motivate goal-directed cognition and behavior Effective Regulation of Emotions Enables the Child to Utilize Their Inherent Adaptiveness and Capitalize on the Energy and Motivational Properties of Emotional Arousal.

18 The Teacher-Implemented Emotions Course For Preschoolers lessons on interest, joy, sadness, anger, fear, and contempt. Puppet shows, emotion games, emotion story books 2. Increases awareness of the expressions, feeling states, and functions of emotions 3. Encourages children to express modulated emotions and talk about feelings 4. Emphasizes utilization of the inherently adaptive energy and motivation of modulated emotion (No Extrinsic Rewards)

19 Methods: Outcome Measures (Administered Pre- and Post EC) Emotion Knowledge: 48 item Emotion Matching Task (C) Emotion Knowledge: 48 item Emotion Matching Task (C) Emotion Regulation Checklist (T) Emotion Regulation Checklist (T) C-TRF Aggressive Behavior (T) C-TRF Aggressive Behavior (T) C-TRF Anx/Dprsd Behavior (T) C-TRF Anx/Dprsd Behavior (T) Emotion Expression Rating Scale (T) Emotion Expression Rating Scale (T) Preschool Competence Q-aire (T) Preschool Competence Q-aire (T) Negative social Interactions (O) Negative social Interactions (O) Negative Emotion Expression (O) Negative Emotion Expression (O) IQ Control Measure: Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (C)

20 Hypotheses: The Emotions Course 1. Will increase emotion knowledge and emotion regulation 2. Will decrease symptoms of behavior problems and psychopathology

21 Research Design Quasi-experimental design Quasi-experimental design Randomly assigned Head Start Centers/Classrooms to Treatment (Emotions Course) and Control Groups Randomly assigned Head Start Centers/Classrooms to Treatment (Emotions Course) and Control Groups Treatment = Head Start Curriculum + Emotions Course (N = 107) Treatment = Head Start Curriculum + Emotions Course (N = 107) Control = Head Start Curriculum (N = 63) Control = Head Start Curriculum (N = 63)

22 Procedure WeekEvent 1-4 Children Accommodate to HS 5 Tchrs Complete Ratings of Children 6-10 UGRAs Complete Pre-tests Tchrs Conduct Emotions Course UGRAs and Tchrs Complete Post-tests

23 Results Data analysis via Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM): Data analysis via Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM): EC EC Increased: Increased: Emotion Knowledge and Emotion Regulation Emotion Knowledge and Emotion Regulation Decreased: Decreased: Negative Emotion Expressions Negative Emotion Expressions Anxious/Depressed Behavior Anxious/Depressed Behavior Aggressive Behavior Aggressive Behavior Negative Social Interactions Negative Social Interactions

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25 Emotion Regulation Emotion Regulation (ERC) Emotions Course (EC) t = p <.05 Effect Size r = 0.55

26 Aggression Aggression (C-TRF) Emotions Course (EC) t = p <.05 Effect Size r = 0.55

27 Negative Emotion Expression (EERS) Emotions Course EC t = † p <.10 Effect Size r = 0.41

28 Observations of Negative Peer Interactions Observed Negative Peer Interactions Emotions Course (EC) t = p <.01 Effect Size r = 0.65

29 Anxious/Depressed Behavior Anxious/ Depressed (C-TRF) Emotions Course EC t = p <.05 Effect Size r = 0.58

30 EC Effect on Percentage of Borderline or Clinical C-TRF Scores Time 1 Time 2 EC EC14%10% Control7%17% pretest χ 2 (1, N = 123) = 7.67, p <.01 posttest χ 2 (1, N = 102) = 6.79, p <.01

31 Explaining the Effects of the Emotions Course (EC): Behavioral Level EC enabled children to experience and talk about emotions in a safe learning environment. EC enabled children to experience and talk about emotions in a safe learning environment. EC increased emotion knowledge (EK), which increased the capacity for empathy and emotion regulation. EC increased emotion knowledge (EK), which increased the capacity for empathy and emotion regulation. The interaction of EK and modulated emotion arousal increased continual emotion awareness, via intersystem (emotion-cognition) connectivity. The interaction of EK and modulated emotion arousal increased continual emotion awareness, via intersystem (emotion-cognition) connectivity. The increase in awareness of emotions and understanding of their characteristics and functions increased utilization of their inherently adaptive properties. The increase in awareness of emotions and understanding of their characteristics and functions increased utilization of their inherently adaptive properties.

32 Explaining EC Effects: Neural Level: EC increased connectivity between: 1.Sub-cortical and cortical emotion systems 2.Insular cortex (and possibly other cortical midline systems that  feelings) and the ACC (that facilitates experiencing feelings as emotion motivation Developmental Level: EC accelerated the transition from phenomenal emotion experience to language-related emotion that enables: 1.Conscious control and utilization of emotions 2.Growth of executive function

33Conclusion We think the increased connectivity and emotion competence resulted primarily from increased emotion knowledge and emotion regulation and utilization via: 1. Playful emotion games (child play drives brain development) 2. Emotion-language development (conscious control of emotions) 2. Emotion-language development (conscious control of emotions) 3. Emotion motivated techniques for self regulation 3. Emotion motivated techniques for self regulation 4. Freedom to express and utilize modulated emotions 4. Freedom to express and utilize modulated emotions