Background. Several researches demonstrated that language plays a causal role in fostering children’s comprehension of the mind (Astington, Baird, 2005; Milligan et al., 2007). The current study concerns the relationship between children’s mental state talk and their comprehension of emotions (Bartsh, Wellman, 1995). More precisely, it investigated the effect that a training on the use of emotional lexicon produces on preschool children’s understanding of emotion. Pons and coworkers (2004) identified nine components of emotion comprehension, which refer to the nature, the causes, and the regulation of emotion. Method. The sample of 102 participants (M=51,99 months) broke down into three groups of age (3, 4, and 5 years old). Children of each age were randomly assigned to the experimental or control condition. They were pre- and post-tested with the TEC (Pons, Harris, 2000). Analyses of pre-test data did not reveal any significant differences between groups. Over a two-month period, twice a week and in small groups, the training activity of experimental group consisted first in listening to the stories rich in mental lexicon, and then in participating in narrative and language games aimed at stimulating the use of emotional terms. After listening to the story, control group children were let playing. Results. Trained children outperformed the participants of control group (t=2,35; p=.02). In particular, the improvement concerned children’s understanding of external (t=2,07; p=.04) and mental (t=2,45; p=.02) components of emotions. Analyses of variance showed a significant Time x Group interaction (F(1,93)=6,45; p=.01) and a significant Time x Group x Age interaction (F(1,93)=3,82; p=.02). Conclusions. The training had a stronger effect in younger children’s post-test scores, producing a positive effect on the comprehension of the external aspects of emotions in the group of 3 year-olds, and on the comprehension of the mental aspects in the groups of 4 and 5 year-olds.
Ornaghi, V., Grazzani, I., Albanese, O. (2009). Emotional lexicon and comprehension of emotions: A training study with preschool children. In XIVth European Conference on Developmental Psychology (pp.50-50). Vilnius : Advertising Company.
Emotional lexicon and comprehension of emotions: A training study with preschool children
ORNAGHI, VERONICA MARIA;GRAZZANI, ILARIA;ALBANESE, OTTAVIA
2009
Abstract
Background. Several researches demonstrated that language plays a causal role in fostering children’s comprehension of the mind (Astington, Baird, 2005; Milligan et al., 2007). The current study concerns the relationship between children’s mental state talk and their comprehension of emotions (Bartsh, Wellman, 1995). More precisely, it investigated the effect that a training on the use of emotional lexicon produces on preschool children’s understanding of emotion. Pons and coworkers (2004) identified nine components of emotion comprehension, which refer to the nature, the causes, and the regulation of emotion. Method. The sample of 102 participants (M=51,99 months) broke down into three groups of age (3, 4, and 5 years old). Children of each age were randomly assigned to the experimental or control condition. They were pre- and post-tested with the TEC (Pons, Harris, 2000). Analyses of pre-test data did not reveal any significant differences between groups. Over a two-month period, twice a week and in small groups, the training activity of experimental group consisted first in listening to the stories rich in mental lexicon, and then in participating in narrative and language games aimed at stimulating the use of emotional terms. After listening to the story, control group children were let playing. Results. Trained children outperformed the participants of control group (t=2,35; p=.02). In particular, the improvement concerned children’s understanding of external (t=2,07; p=.04) and mental (t=2,45; p=.02) components of emotions. Analyses of variance showed a significant Time x Group interaction (F(1,93)=6,45; p=.01) and a significant Time x Group x Age interaction (F(1,93)=3,82; p=.02). Conclusions. The training had a stronger effect in younger children’s post-test scores, producing a positive effect on the comprehension of the external aspects of emotions in the group of 3 year-olds, and on the comprehension of the mental aspects in the groups of 4 and 5 year-olds.
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