Developmental-Lecture 7-emotional development

Question

Answer

What is the earliest evidence of emotional expression in human development?

Basic emotions are observable in the first days of life.

Why do infant emotions become more complex over time?

Because emotional complexity depends on cognitive development.

What is social referencing and when does it typically emerge?

It emerges around 9 months; infants look to caregivers to decide how to respond in uncertain situations.

What does the 'still face' experiment demonstrate?

The importance of parental responsiveness for infant emotional regulation.

How do infants initially regulate emotions?

Through basic strategies like turning away or sucking on a pacifier.

What marks the transition from behavioral to cognitive emotion regulation in toddlers?

The development of symbolic thought and language by the end of the second year.

What cognitive development allows preschoolers to regulate emotions more effectively?

The maturation of the prefrontal cortex.

What is emotional display rule learning, and why is it significant?

Children learn culturally appropriate ways to express emotions, showing growing awareness and self-control.

How do individualistic and collectivist cultures differ in emotional socialization?

Individualistic cultures encourage self-directed emotions; collectivist cultures emphasize empathy and group harmony.

What cognitive ability enables understanding of mixed emotions?

Mental time-travel: anticipating and recalling emotional experiences.

Why are adolescents more emotionally variable?

Due to hormonal changes, brain immaturity, and intensified social experiences.

What emotion regulation trend is seen in adolescents over time?

Improved regulation and reduced variability in emotional responses.

What is socioemotional selectivity theory?

Older adults prioritize emotionally meaningful goals and relationships due to perceived time limits.

What is the positivity effect in aging?

Older adults attend to and remember positive information more than negative.

How do older adults typically handle conflict?

They often avoid conflict or de-escalate it more than younger adults.

Why do older adults show less emotion regulation strategy variability?

Because of stable routines and already developed effective strategies.

What happens to emotional well-being in late life according to diary studies?

It tends to improve as networks narrow and focus shifts to meaningful relationships.

What emotion regulation strategies are most used in late life?

Acceptance and suppression, depending on the emotion.

What biological change supports positivity in older age?

The amygdala degenerates less than the prefrontal cortex, supporting emotional processing.

How do emotion goals shift from adolescence to old age?

Adolescents seek exploration and novelty; older adults seek meaning and emotional satisfaction.

What is emotion regulation flexibility and why is it important?

The ability to adaptively switch between strategies depending on context; associated with better mental health.

What are maladaptive emotion regulation strategies?

Rumination, suppression, and avoidance—linked with higher psychopathology.

What are adaptive emotion regulation strategies?

Reappraisal, problem-solving, acceptance—linked with lower psychopathology.

What is reappraisal in emotion regulation?

Changing the way one thinks about a situation to alter its emotional impact.

What is suppression in emotion regulation?

Inhibiting outward signs of emotion while still feeling it internally.

What does the 'process model of emotion regulation' explain?

Different points at which emotion regulation can be applied: situation, attention, appraisal, and response.

How do infants engage in social learning of emotions?

They mirror caregivers’ emotions and learn which emotional expressions are rewarded.

What is evocative gene-environment correlation in emotional development?

A child’s temperament elicits specific emotional responses from caregivers.

What is the significance of the 'visual cliff' experiment?

Demonstrates social referencing in infants—looking to caregivers for emotional cues.

What emotion regulation strategy is common by age 3–4 due to brain development?

Cognitive reappraisal and better inhibition of negative emotions.

How do emotional display rules develop?

Children learn when and how to express emotions appropriately within cultural norms.

What is the link between emotional competence and social competence?

Higher emotional competence predicts better peer relationships and social functioning.

How does emotion regulation change in adolescence?

It becomes more goal-oriented but less consistent due to developing executive functions.

Why do adolescents experience more emotional highs and lows?

Hormonal changes, brain development lag, and new social experiences contribute.

What is a key reason adolescents experience a decline in positive emotions?

They face identity-related stressors and increased sensitivity to peer evaluation.

What method is used to measure adolescent emotion dynamics in real life?

Experience Sampling Method (ESM)—captures moment-to-moment emotion changes.

What is the ‘social clock’ theory in adulthood?

Social comparisons regarding life milestones can affect emotional well-being.

What characterizes midlife emotionally?

Balancing gains and losses—can lead to stress but also increased emotional regulation.

What is the main challenge for emotion regulation in older adulthood?

Coping with loss (of loved ones, independence, purpose).

How does aging affect memory for emotional content?

Older adults remember more positive than negative emotional content (positivity effect).