DEVELOPMENTAL CHANGES OF STRATEGIES TO REGULATE EMOTIONAL EXPRESSION IN CHILDHOOD

This research investigated the developmental changes in strategies for regulating emotional expression in childhood, using hypothetical stories. Participants were first, third and fifth grade children (N = 646). Four hypothetical stories were presented and children were asked what they would feel (internal emotion) and which face they would display (facial expression) for each story. They could select from one of four facial pictures (happiness, anger, sadness, and neutral) for each question. Their answers regarding internal emotion in each story and the facial expressions in each internal emotion were analyzed. The strategies that children used were different among the different grade levels, with substitution strategy increasingly more frequent at higher grade levels. The strategies for regulating emotional expression increased in facility during childhood.