Kindergarten-aged children's reactions to an emotionally charged naturalistic event: relations between cognitions, self-reported emotions, and emotional behaviour.
Relations between kindergarten-aged children's cognitions, self-reported emotions, and expressive behaviour regarding an emotion-eliciting event were examined by investigating 32 Dutch children's reactions to meeting "Sinterklaas", who they think brings presents for children, but who might also punish them. Measures included cognitions about Sinterklaas, emotion self-reports, and expressive behaviour when meeting Sinterklaas. Girls', but not boys', self-reports were related to their expressive behaviour. Boys' cognitions were not related to their emotions, whereas girls' cognitions and emotions were related inversely. That is, girls who reported the most positive cognitions about Sinterklaas showed the most, rather than the least, fear.
Olthof
T
T
Dept. of Developmental Psychology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands. T.OLTHOF@FSW.RUU.NL
Engelberts-Vaske
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A
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004644:Emotions; D005201:Fantasy; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D008297:Male