CFS138 s.1 (Exam 3)

Emotion

• A rapid, automatic psychological & physiological response to meaningful events involving feelings, behavior, & bodily arousal

Discrete Emotions Theory

• Emotions are inborn, biologically based, & universal

  • Babies are born with basic emotions like joy, anger, & fear

Functionalist Theory

• Emotions help individuals adapt to environments & regulate behavior to achieve goals

Basic Emotions at Birth

• Interest

• Disgust

• Distress

Positive Emotions (1st year)

• Joy & happiness

  • Emerge by 2–3 months w/ social smiling

Negative Emotions (1st year)

• Anger & fear

  • Increase toward the end of the first year as mobility increases

Stranger Anxiety

• Fear of unfamiliar people

• Appears around 6–8 months & peaks near 10–12 months

Separation Anxiety

• Distress when caregiver leaves

• Begins around 8 months & peaks at 14–20 months

Self-Conscious Emotions

• Require self-awareness

  • Embarrassment, pride, shame, guilt

  • Appear around 18–24 months

Understanding Emotions

• By preschool, children can identify emotions, understand causes, & recognize fake or masked emotions

Emotion Regulation

• Ability to manage emotional arousal

• Shifts from caregiver control in infancy to self-control in childhood

Regulation Strategies

• Early: Rely on caregiver soothing & physical comfort

• Later: Toddlers use distraction, self-talk, & problem solving

Temperament × Emotion

• Temperament affects intensity & regulation of emotions

• Parenting shapes how emotions are expressed

Cultural Display Rules

• Cultural norms guide how & when emotions should be expressed

Self

• One’s identity, self-awareness, & self-concept

Self-Recognition

• Awareness that “I am separate from others”

  • Tested with mirror rouge task

Mirror/Rouge Task

• A red mark is placed on child’s face

• Touching own face (not mirror) shows self-recognition at ~18–24 months

Other Signs of Self-Awareness

• Using “me/mine”

• Showing embarrassment

• Recognizing own name

Self-Concept

• How children define themselves

Early Self-Concept

• Defined by concrete observable traits (physical traits, possessions, & abilities)

  • ex: “I have brown hair,” “I can run fast”

Source of Self-Concept

• Formed through social feedback, comparisons, & relationships with caregivers