chapter 10: emotional development

Question 1

emotions

Answer 1

neural and physiological responses to the environment, subjective feelings, cognitions related to those feelings, and the desire to take action

Question 2

discrete emotions theory

Answer 2

a theory in which emotions are viewed as innate, and each emotion has a specific and distinctive set of bodily and facial reactions

Question 3

functionalist perspective

Answer 3

a theory which argues that the basic function of emotions is to promote action toward achieving a goal. In this view, emotions are not discrete from one another and vary somewhat based on the social environment

Question 4

social smiles

Answer 4

smiles that are directed at people; they first emerge around the third month of life

Question 5

separation anxiety

Answer 5

feelings of distress that children, especially infants and toddlers, experience when they are separated, or expect to be separated, from individuals to whom they are emotionally attached

Question 6

self-conscious emotions

Answer 6

emotions such as guilt, shame, embarrassment, and pride that relate to our sense of self and our consciousness of others’ reactions to us

Question 7

social referencing

Answer 7

the use of a parent’s or another adult’s facial expression or vocal cues to decide how to deal with novel, ambiguous, or possibly threatening situations

Question 8

emotional intelligence

Answer 8

the ability to cognitively process information about emotions and to use that information to guide both thought and behavior

Question 9

display rules

Answer 9

a social group’s informal norms about when, where, and how much one should show emotions and when and where displays of emotion should be suppressed or masked by displays of other emotions

Question 10

emotion regulation

Answer 10

a set of both conscious and unconscious processes used to both monitor and modulate emotional experiences and expressions

Question 11

co-regulation

Answer 11

the process by which a caregiver provides the needed comfort or distraction to help a child reduce his or her distress

Question 12

self-comforting behaviors

Answer 12

repetitive actions that regulate arousal by providing a mildly positive physical sensation

Question 13

self-distraction

Answer 13

looking away from an upsetting stimulus in order to regulate one’s level of arousal

Question 14

social competence

Answer 14

the ability to achieve personal goals in social interactions while simultaneously maintaining positive relationships with others

Question 15

emotion socialization

Answer 15

the process through which children acquire the values, standards, skills, knowledge, and behaviors that are regarded as appropriate for their present and future roles in their particular culture

Question 16

emotion coaching

Answer 16

the use of discussion and other forms of instruction to teach children how to cope with and properly express emotion

Question 17

temperament

Answer 17

individual differences in emotion, activity level, and attention that are exhibited across contexts and that are present from infancy and thus thought to be genetically based

Question 18

goodness of fit

Answer 18

the degree to which an individual’s temperament is compatible with the demands and expectations of his or her social environment

Question 19

differential susceptibility

Answer 19

a circumstance in which the same temperament characteristic that puts some children at high risk for negative outcomes when exposed to a harsh home environment also causes them to blossom when their home environment is positive

Question 20

mental health

Answer 20

children’s sense of well-being both internally, such as in their emotions and stress levels, and externally, such as in their relationships with family members and peers

Question 21

stress

Answer 21

a physiological reaction to some change or threat in the environment

Question 22

toxic stress

Answer 22

the experience of overwhelming levels of stress without support from adults to help mitigate the effects of that stress

Question 23

adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)

Answer 23

traumatic childhood experiences, such as abuse, neglect, violence exposure, or death of a parent, that are linked to mental and physical health problems later in life

Question 24

mental disorder

Answer 24

a state of having problems with emotional reactions to the environment and with social relationships in ways that affect daily life

Question 25

equifinality

Answer 25

the concept that various causes can lead to the same mental disorder

Question 26

multifinality

Answer 26

the concept that certain risk factors do not always lead to a mental disorder

Question 27

depression

Answer 27

a mental disorder that involves a sad or irritable mood along with physical and cognitive changes that interfere with daily life

Question 28

rumination

Answer 28

the act of focusing on one’s own negative emotions and negative self-appraisals and on their causes and consequences, without engaging in efforts to improve one’s situation

Question 29

co-rumination

Answer 29

extensively discussing and self-disclosing emotional problems with another person

Question 30

anxiety disorders

Answer 30

a set of mental disorders that involve the inability to regulate fear and worry