Emotion Flashcards
What are emotions
Emotions are neural and physiological responses to the environment, subjective feelings, cognitions related to those feelings, emotional expression and the desire to take action.
All of these responses occur nearly simultaneously so it’s difficult to know which comes first.
Emotions help us navigate ourselves through the world safely.
What are the theories of nature and emergence of emotion?
Discrete emotions theory held by Tomkins, Izard et al argues that neurological and biological systems have evolved to allow infants to experience and then express a set of basic emotions through adaptation to our surroundings. This theory suggests that emotions are automatic and not based on cognition. Vocalisations of basic emotions are consistent across cultures and infants express emotions before they can be taught them.
Functionalist perspective proposed by Campos et al (2006) argues that individuals experience emotions in order to manage their relationship with the environment, to promote action toward achieving a goal. For example infants learn to laugh if they want something to continue and cry if they want it to stop. Usually subconscious until children learn they can fake emotions to reach a goal.
Emergence of happiness
1st month - REM sleep
2 months - smile in response
3-4 months - laugh and social smiles
7 months - smile primarily at human faces
Lewis et al (1990)
Showed infants show happiness when they’re in control as those with string attached to their arm that played music when pulled showed more interest and smiling than infants without
Emergence of fear
4 months - unfamiliar objects
7 months - weary of strangers which intensifies until 2
8 months - Separation anxiety
15 months - ^ declines
Separation anxiety
Refers to feelings of distress that children, especially infants and toddlers experience when they are separated or expect to be from individuals they are emotionally attached to
This can also be seen as adaptive as it encourages them to stay in close proximity of adults for protection although extreme levels can develop into mental health disorders
Emergence of anger
Response to a frustrating or threatening situation - often blended with sadness until 1
Peaks between 18-24 months
Declines from 3 (language) and ToM
Emergence of surprise
Emotional reaction to a sudden unexpected event and involves cognition
Begins at 6 months
Reisseland and Shepherd (2006) found infants of mothers with depressive symptoms showed less surprise at jack in the box than controls
Self conscious emotions
Guilt, shame, embarrassment and pride - relate to our sense of self (children must have one to feel this, usually around 2/3) - stems from their understanding of what’s expected by parents
Guilt v shame
Guilt: feelings of remorse and regret and desire to undo consequences
Shame: focussed on yourself and feeling like you want to hide yourself
Parenting styles determine which a child is more likely to feel e.g teaching them about consequences and how to fix them
Barrett et al (1993)
Conducted a study with a doll whose leg will fall off while being played with.
Children displayed two patterns of behaviour:
> they tried to repair doll and told experimenter what had happened
> they avoided experimenter and delayed telling them.
Identifying emotions of others
3 months - distinguish facial expressions of happiness, surprise and anger
7 months - fear and sadness
- consistency of voice tone and emotional expression
Does not mean they understand them
Martin et al (2014)
Found 16-18 month olds showed preference to toys that had previously been associated with happy and surprised emotions than negative ones whereas 12-14 month olds didn’t.
Social referencing
Use of a parent’s/adult’s facial expression or vocal cues to decide how to deal with novel, ambiguous or possibly threatening situations - shows understanding as they use it to guide behaviour
Moses et al (2001)
Showed 12 and 18 month old children a novel toy and in one condition the experimenter said nice or ew whilst looking at the toy and again while the child fixated on the toy, in the other condition the experimenter could not be seen but still made the comment once and again when child fixated on toy.
Only in the first condition did the child change their behaviour towards the toy according to the comment, which shows they are able to understand emotion through social referencing.
