Negative Emotions
Nearly every parent has experienced the sudden, intense, explosive outburst of emotions that occur in toddlers and early childhood. (Gisbrect, Miller & Muller, 2010, p. 478). Research suggests that early emotional regulation may be significantly influenced by qualitative aspect of toddler-caregiver interactions and partly by the child’s temperament (Cassiday, 194; Tronic 1989). Admittedly, the manifestation of negative emotions by children is considerably influenced by their interactions with their caregivers.
While it is understood that a child brings a particular set of abilities to his or her emotional life, people surrounding a child play a role in the development of their emotional competence; that is, innate differences and early care interact to create the emotions that the child will always display (Vaughn et al., 1992, p. 463-473). Within days or weeks after birth infants begin to display relatively stable and enduring behavioral tendencies (Zetner & Bates, 2008, p. 7-37). Basic feelings developed in infancy adapt into advanced emotions such as shame and embarrassment (Shaffer, 2009, p. 223). Emotions are innate, raw and unpretentious and can be overwhelming to a child experiencing them for the first time. It is critical for a sensitive caregiver to help a child empathize what they are feeling and to see that feelings serve a vital function in letting others respond to their distress or needs (Robison, Emde & Korfmacher, 1997, p. 59). If a secure attachment is formed between the caregiver and the child, the history established of synchrony between the caregiver and the child will serve as the basis of forming emotional regulation.
Emotions facilitate and interfere with social responsiveness of a child. For example, in various families in the animal kingdom, the young will express fear, in high pitches that not only indicate distress, but a signal to others their submissive rank and need for back-up in achieving their goals (Ashiabi, 2000, p. 80). Young children use pitch to signal their distress at a markedly high notation than older children (Ashiabi, 2000). In this context of threat of danger, strong emotional arousal, strong negative emotion can be seen as adaptive. However, negative emotion is maladaptive when it does not match contextual or social demands (Cicchetti, Ackreman & Izard, 1995, Development and Psychology 7, p. 1-10). An essential objective of emotional regulation then is for children and adolescents to manage emotions in socially and contextually appropriate ways (Eisenberg & Morris, 2002; Kopp, 1992). Preventive measures in measures in avoiding negative emotions begin with modeling positive behavior (Ashiabi, 2000) and avoiding conflicts that expose a backdrop of anger (Kats & Gottman, 1993, p. 941). Developing a pattern with the child of spontaneous free-play can stimulate and arose a child in a positive way, that is believed to help the child gain the skill to self-regulate when negatively charged (site)
The quality of the caregiver-child relationship has been conceptualized in terms of attachment relationships with reference to the differing quality of care leads to a difference in expectations of children regarding the dependability and responsiveness of the caregiver. Notably, these differences in expectations have an impact on the children’s later expression of emotion, the understanding of emotion and later regulation of emotion (Sroufe, 1997, p. 251). A child who has an insecure relationship with the caregiver displays negative emotions exhibited in various forms such as ignoring the caregiver’s initiations, heightening expression or acting in a hostile manner (Cassidy, 1994, Main & Cassidy, 1988).
Concisely, the exhibition of negative emotions by young children is a common phenomenon that is overly influenced by the relationship that sprouts between the child and the caregiver. Unlike a negative interaction, a positive interaction between the child and the caregiver will always lead to a positive response by the child to the caregiver
References
Ashiabi, G. S. (2000). Promoting the Emotional Development of Preschooler. Early Childhood Education Journal, 28(2); 79-84
Cassidy, J. (1994). Emotional Regulation: Influences of Attachment Relationships. In N. A. Fox (Ed.), The Development of Emotional Regulation: Biological and Behavioral Considerations. Monographs Of The Society For Research In Childhood Development, 59(2-3) 228-249.
Cicchetti, D. Ackreman, B. P. & Izard, C. E. (1995). Emotions and Emotion regulation in Development Psychopathology. Development and Psychology, 7; 1-10
Eisenberg, N & Morrise, A. S. (2002). Children’s Emotion Regulates Regulation: Advances in Development and Behavior (Vol. 30). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
Katz, L. F., & Gottman, J. M (1993). Patterns of marital Conflict predict children’s internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Development Psychology, 29(6); 940-950
Main, M, & Cassidy, J. (1988). Categories of Response to Reunion with Parent Age 6a: Predictable With Infant Attachment Relations and Stable Over One Month Period. Developmental Psychology, 24; 415-426.
Robinson, J. L., Emde, R. N. & Korfmacher, J. (1997). Intergrading an Emotional Regulation Perspective in A Program Of Parental And Early Childhood Visitation. Journal of Community Psychology, 25, 59-75
Shaffer, D. R. (2009). Social Personality and Development, 6th Ed. Belmont, CA; Wadsworth Cancage learning.
Sroufe, L. A. (1997). Psychology as an Outcome Of Emotional Development. Development and Pschopathology, 9; 251-268
Tronic, E. Z. (1989). Emotions and Emotional Communication in Infants. American Psychologist, 44, 112-119.
Vaughn, B. E., Stevenson-Hinde, J., Waters, E., Kotsaftis, A.. Lefever, G. B., Shouldice, A., Trudel, M., Belsky, J. (1992). Attachment Security and Temperament in Infancy and Early Childhood: Some Conceptual Clarifications. Developmental Psychology, 28(3); 463-473. doi: 10.1037/0012-1649.28.3.463
