The Understanding and Experience of Mixed Emotions in 3–5-Year-Old Children

ABSTRACT

The term mixed emotions refers to the presence of two opposite-valence emotions toward a single target. Identifying when children begin to report experiencing and understanding mixed emotions is critical in identifying how skills such as adaptive functioning, coping strategies, environmental understanding, and socioemotional competence emerge. Prior research has shown that children as young as 5 years old can understand and experience mixed emotion, but perhaps appropriately sensitive methodologies can reveal these abilities in younger children. The present study evaluated 57 children between 3 and 5 years old for mixed emotion experience and understanding using an animated video clip in which a character experiences a mixed emotional episode. Ordinal logistic regression was utilized to examine the relation of gender, attention, and understanding of content to experience and understanding of mixed emotion. While only 12% of children reported experiencing mixed emotion while watching the clip, 49% of children—some as young as 3 years old—were able to recognize the mixed emotional experience of the character. Thus, mixed emotion understanding emerges earlier than previously identified and the expression of understanding may develop independently of the ability to report mixed emotion experience. These findings are discussed in relation to cognitive and developmental considerations.

Keywords:

• emotional development
• mixed emotions
• emotion expression

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Joshua P. Smith

Joshua P. Smith earned his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Suffolk University and a Master's in Public Health from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He currently works at a state hospital serving individuals with severe and persistent mental illness. His professional interests include trauma response, emotional development, and health psychology.

Daniel J. Glass

Daniel J. Glass is a doctoral student in clinical psychology at Suffolk University. He received an M.A. in psychology from the State University of New York at New Paltz, and has an interest in anxiety disorders, bullying, and evolutionary perspectives on clinical psychology.

Gary Fireman

Gary Fireman is a professor of psychology and chair of the psychology department at Suffolk University. He earned his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Long Island University and his expertise is in developmental psychopathology.