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18 - The Development of Individual Differences in Understanding Emotion and Mind

Antecedents and Sequelae

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2012

By
Judy Dunn
Edited by
Antony S. R. Manstead ,
Nico Frijda  and
Agneta Fischer
Judy Dunn
Affiliation:
University of London
Antony S. R. Manstead
Affiliation:
University of Cambridge
Nico Frijda
Affiliation:
Universiteit van Amsterdam
Agneta Fischer
Affiliation:
Universiteit van Amsterdam
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Summary

ABSTRACT

The chapter examines the relations between children's understanding of others' inner states and their socioemotional experiences and relationships, both concurrently and over time, and the place of talk in these developments. It is framed within a relationship perspective, draws on evidence from longitudinal studies of children, and discusses what we need to know now.

INTRODUCTION

No one who has been around young children can fail to have noticed the emotional drama of their lives – the intensity and frequency of their displays of anger, delight, distress, and humor. If you listen to what they are saying – their questions, jokes, stories, and arguments – their interest in and curiosity about emotions are also strikingly evident. There has of course been a long tradition, since Darwin, of research that charts the developmental changes in children's emotional behavior, and the organization of emotions, a tradition that continues today. There is also flourishing research on the regulation of emotional behavior and its relation to developmental psychopathology, and to close relationships more generally (Eisenberg, 2000; Eisenberg et al., 1995). This chapter however focuses not on these active areas of study, but on another theme that is increasingly prominent in developmental work on emotions. This is the significance, antecedents, and sequelae of individual differences in children's early understanding of emotions. As adults, our understanding of other people's feelings plays a crucial role in our relationships, in our interpretation of people's actions and intentions.

Type
Chapter
Information
Feelings and Emotions
The Amsterdam Symposium
 , pp. 303 - 320
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2004

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