Having children is probably the biggest blessing in the world. Watching them grow up and seeing them transform from a baby to a grown-up is one of the greates pleasures. The first thing that can be noticed on a baby is the development of their emotion expressions.
Basics:
In psychology, emotional expression is observable verbal and nonverbal behaviour that communicates emotion. Emotional expression can occur with or without self-awareness. An individual can control such expression, to some extent, and may have deliberate intent in displaying it.[1]
The development of emotion expression during the first two years of life
Early infant emotional development concerns the interactive emergence of emotional states that motivate approach and withdrawal. These are indexed by different patterns of infant facial expressions, vocalization, and gazing that emerge within parent-infant interactions in the first 10 months of life. Specifically, the interface of a limited number of interactive parameters creates complex real-time patterns which change over developmental time. These phenomena are described below using techniques from our laboratory such as statistical simulations, continuous ratings, and computer vision modeling.
Facial expressions and vocalizations are two central expressive modalities for infants. The prototypical positive infant facial expression is the smile in which the zygomatic major pulls the lip corners laterally upward. The prototypical negative expression is a cryface, a frown or grimace in which the lip corners are pulled laterally, the mouth is typically open to some degree, and the brow is furrowed. (For modelers, it is noteworthy that while cry-faces are common, it is unclear whether discrete expressions of negative emotions such as fear and sadness can be reliably elicited from young infants.) [2]
The following study examines the course of emotion expression development over the first 2 years of life in a sample of full-term and preterm children. 58 mother/infant pairs were videotaped at infant ages of 2 1/2, 5, 7 1/2, and 22 months, recording face-to-face interaction involving play and separation/reunion sessions. The tapes were coded on a second-to-second basis using Izard’s facial affect coding system. Data analysis focused on (1) differences in expressive behavior at 22 months as a function of risk status, gender, attachment status, and patterns of earlier maternal contingency behavior; (2) stability of specific emotional expressive patterns across assessment periods; and (3) the relation of expressive behavior and security of attachment at 2 years to qualities of earlier affective interchange. Mother’s contingency behavior (both general level and specific contingency patterns) appeared to have a material effect on the course of emotional development, as did birth status and gender. Prematurity was associated with differential socioemotional development well into the second year, much in contrast to the “catch-up effect” observed in linguistic and cognitive functioning. Discrete emotions analysis of attachment groups yielded differentiation along a broad negative/positive dimension, but it also showed that insecurely attached children can be characterized as showing inhibited anger expression. [3]
The significant role of emotions in evolution and adaptation suggests that there must be more than 1 mechanism for generating them. Nevertheless, much of current emotion theory focuses on cognitive processes (appraisal, attribution, and construal) as the sole, or primary, means of eliciting emotions. As an alternative to this position, the present model describes 4 types of emotion-activating systems, 3 of which involve noncognitive information processing. From an evolutionary-developmental perspective, the systems may be viewed as a loosely organized hierarchical arrangement, with neural systems, the simplest and most rapid, at the base and cognitive systems, the most complex and versatile, at the top. The emotion-activating systems operate under a number of constraints, including genetically influenced individual differences. The hierarchical organization of the systems for generating emotions provides an adaptive advantage. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) [4]
Conclusion:
In recent yuears the infant’s ability to recognize facial expressions of emotion has attracted considerable attention from developmental psychologists. The rationale guiding much of this research has been that this ability plays an important role in later socioemotional development. It is concluded that the recognition of facial expressions develops slowly over the first 2 years of life, and that even at the end of the second year the infant’s understanding of facial expressions is still quite rudimentary. Following this review is a discussion of 2 unresolved issues regarding the development of this ability. 1 issue relates to the biological/experimental basis on which the ability to recognize facial expressions develops. Research with primates is brought to bear on this point, and useful analogues with human infants are sought. From this research it is suggested that a component of the ability to recognize facial expressions is unlearned, although experience of some as yet undetermined nature affects this biological readiness. The second issue relates to the possible neurological mechanisms that mediate this ability. Research with primates, normal adults, and brain damaged adults is used to support the speculation that a posterior region of the right hemisphere is responsible for mediating the recognition of facial expressions [5]
References:
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotional_expression
[2] Early Interactive Emotional Development by: Daniel S. Messinger, Mohammad H. Mahoor, Steven Cadavid, Sy-Miin Chow, Jeffrey F. Cohn
[3] The development of emotion expression during the first two years of life. By: Malatesta CZ, Culver C, Tesman JR, Shepard B.
[4] Four systems for emotion activation: Cognitive and noncognitive processes.by: Izard, Carroll E.
[5] http://www.jstor.org/pss/1130530
Idea for “The development of emotion expression during the first two years of life” came from http://www.kidsdealz.com.au website.
