The miniaturization of expression in the development of emotional self-regulation.
This study tested an internalization model of emotional development proposing that emotional expression decreases during childhood in situations in which emotions serve only self-regulation. This model was tested by inducing joy and disappointment in solitary versus interpersonal conditions in 3 gender-matched, 20-member groups of 6-, 7-, and 8-year-olds. Results supported the model: Expression--but not self-reported feeling--decreased in solitary conditions as a function of increasing age, whereas both expression and feeling remained stable in the interpersonal condition. This effect also correlated positively with the ability to discriminate between expression and feeling on a conceptual level. Results are discussed in relation to the major developmental trend toward creating a mental level of self-regulation--first described by Vygotsky.
Holodynski
Manfred
M
Department of Psychology, University of Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany. manfred.holodynski@uni-bielefeld.de
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D002648:Child; D003210:Concept Formation; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D010552:Personality Assessment; D010553:Personality Development; D012931:Social Environment; D012951:Socialization