Emotions

Topic Editor: Michael Lewis, PhD, Institute for the Study of Child Development, UMDNJ--Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, USA
Topic funded by: Margaret & Wallace McCain Family Foundation

Emotional competence (EC) is a developmental process that comprises three interrelated competencies: 1) emotion expression; 2) emotion knowledge; and 3) emotion regulation (i.e., being aware of one’s emotions and modifying them when necessary). At a young age, children already display a range of emotions in social situations through non-verbal messages (e.g., giving a hug, sulking). Then, advances in cognitive development allow children to identify their own and others’ emotions, and the circumstances that lead to their expression. This emotional understanding, in turn, allows children to monitor and to modify their emotions in order to cope with difficult situations. 

Emotional development in infancy and early childhood is important for several interrelated skills. In comparison to children with deficits in emotional development, children with a developed EC are more likely: 1) to sustain learning; 2) to engage in empathic and prosocial behaviours; 3) to express appropriate emotions in various contexts; 4) to use adaptive strategies to deal with negative/upsetting emotions (e.g., anger); and 5) to reduce several risk factors associated with psychopathology. Taken together, these abilities predict children’s early school success and positive interpersonal relationships with peers and family members.

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