Chapter 12 Flashcards
When are the basic emotions developed
They are developed around the 2 and 7 months
What are the basic emotions
- Anger
- Sadness
- Joy
- Surprise
- Fear
Why are they called basic emotions and who discovered this
- They are seen all over the world → universal emotions
This was discovered by Paul Ekman
Paul Ekman = universality of emotions
Why are basic emotions passive
Passive: Based on our evolutionary history, they are consistent and universal
Why are basic emotions active
Active: infants learn that certain emotions create a certain change in the environment → ex: child smiles = mom smiles
So child takes control of emotional state and activate different types of emotions in order to get certain responses
What are the second class of emotions and when are they developed
Self conscious emotions:
- Embarrassment
- Shame
- Guilt
- Pride
SHAME VS GUILT => Shame is internal (not living up to a standard)
Guilt is when you do something to someone else
They are developed in the 2nd year
Why are they called self conscious emotions
Because they require 2 things:
Development of cognitive self: knowing you’re separate from your environment
If a child does not have a sense of self (don’t pass rouge test) they cannot have these emotions
Understanding self consciousness
An understanding of a rules or standards that a person (a child) can use to evaluate their conduct
For example:
- In order to be embarrassed you need to know that you did something other people would mock → you didn’t live up to a certain social standard
- In order to feel shame, you need to understand that you did something against your moral compass
- In order to feel guilty, you need to know what the rules are but you still did something against someone else so now I feel guilty
When can a person evaluate their performances
By age 3 we are able to tell if we did something good or bad
Evaluate their behaviour
What does self recognition rely on
How does it develop
Development of self recognition is cognitive but the understanding of rules is environmental
The development of these emotions (embarrassment, guilt, pride, shame) depends on the environment
What are the environmental factors that affect a child’s display of emotions
When and how much a child displays the emotions depends on how parents interacted with the child
Parents who use positive emotions have kids who display more pride when they achieve something and less shame when criticized
Child learns to display more positive emotions
Parents who use negative emotions have kids who show less pride when they achieve something and more shame when criticized
Child learns to display more negative emotions
What is the socialization of emotion [emotional display rules]
Specific cultures have certain emotional display rules, these tell you what emotions you should display, when to display them, and how much
Ex: Grandma gives you socks for your birthday, be happy about it on the outside
- Culturally defined and regulated → not inherited
- Rules are emphasized and learnt early:
How can parents control their children’s’ emotional display
They should be positive/curious models and progressive non-responsive to negative behaviours
The caregiver models positive behaviours (reasoning, etc) and curiosity + doesn’t respond to negative behaviour = positive child
A child throws a temper tantrum, parents don’t respond so the child will not display this negative emotion. When a child displays positive emotions, parents respond to this so the child will continue to display more positive emotions
Parents who emphasize positive emotions have children who were better at masking disappointment
Explain the development of regulating emotions up to 6 months
In the first few months of your life, the caregivers regulate your emotions → ex: caregiver gives you pacifier if you cry, change your diapers, etc
By 6 moth of age: we develop self soothing strategies → take control of regulating the emotions
- turning away from things they don’t like
- sucking on thumb/objects
- when uncomfortable, call out to parents by crying
- rocking, etc
When the caregiver notices the self soothing, they help them by responding to them, in doing so they reinforce the self soothing strategies, allowing for a deeper form of self soothing
Explain the development of regulating emotions from 1 to 2 years old
By 1 year → More (frequent and mature) self soothing strategies that have been reinforced
By 1.5-2 years → By 1-1.5 years → More self soothing strategies used since they’re mobile now
- take more control when they are upset → seek their caregiver, push objects away
- use distractions strategies (play with something, etc)
- suppress emotions → not show what they are really feeling (ex: suppress sadness, anger, etc)
- Exception for fear: you can’t suppress fear → swap emotion for emotion ⇒ you’re scared, you try to suppress but instead you become sad/ show sadness, caregiver sees you’re sad and gives attention + care + comfort
Explain the development of regulating emotions from 2-6 years old
By 2-6 years old, caregivers offer verbal parental guidance
- Parents guide regulation with suggestions or reasoning
Ex: watching a scary part of a movie- Distracting behaviours: close your eyes until scary part of movie is gone
- Distracting thoughts: think of something different, think that you’re going to get ice cream later after this vaccine
- Reinterpretation: understand that this is not real ⇒ reinterpret the situation
When can you begin to disguise true feelings
By age 3 we have a limited ability to disguise true feelings
How does your home life relate to regulation
The more positive emotions you have at home => child is more able to regulate
- more negative emotions = less regulation
Explain the concept of acquiring emotional rules & tools
Over the course of their development, children begin to learn how to use their emotions as tools
This is also done by adults/parents:
Ex: child breaks something that belongs to a sibling → intensify feelings of guilt so they go apologize
- Elementary school years are key for learning emotional rules and social rules
This is because for the first time you are immersed in social situations so you learn emotional rules but you also cognitively grow
Why do we feel the need to get along
We have a propensity (evolutionary history) to be motivated to achieve social harmony because we know that we need society to survive and we don’t want to be kicked out of group
Explain how socialization helps acquire emotional rules
Socialization helps people understand how they should interact with others and learn emotional rules
