The representation of emotion knowledge across development. Issue 3 (25th November 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Woodard, Kristina; Zettersten, Martin; Pollak, Seth D.
• Is Part Of: Child development. Volume 93:Issue 3(2022)
• Page Start: e237
• Page End: e250
• Publication Date: 2021-11-25
• Subjects: Child development -- Periodicals; Child psychology -- Periodicals; Child Development -- Periodicals; Child Development; Pediatrics -- Periodicals; Pedicatrics; 305.231
• DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13716
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0009-3920

Abstract

Abstract: The present study examined how children spontaneously represent facial cues associated with emotion. 106 three‐ to six‐year‐old children (48 male, 58 female; 9.4% Asian, 84.0% White, 6.6% more than one race) and 40 adults (10 male, 30 female; 10% Hispanic, 30% Asian, 2.5% Black, 57.5% White) were recruited from a Midwestern city (2019–2020), and sorted emotion cues in a spatial arrangement method that assesses emotion knowledge without reliance on emotion vocabulary. Using supervised and unsupervised analyses, the study found evidence for continuities and gradual changes in children's emotion knowledge compared to adults. Emotion knowledge develops through an incremental learning process in which children change their representations using combinations of factors—particularly valence—that are weighted differently across development.