The behavioral and cortisol responses of Japanese and Caucasian American infants, four months of age, were observed during and following routine inoculation. The Caucasian American group showed a more intense initial affective response and a longer latency to quiet than the Japanese group; the Japanese group showed a greater cortisol response than…

Studied facial expressions of 20 infants of 4 and 6 months during contingency or noncontingency learning. Differing emotional expressions and distinctive patterns of expressions characterized contingent but not control subjects. Results indicated that emotion and contingency learning were closely linked in young infants. (RJC)

Videotape study of preschool children, two to five years of age, and adults who posed the six facial expressions of happiness, surprise, anger, fear, sadness, and disgust. Poses were scored using the MAX system. Results showed that consistent differences between partial and complete poses were observed for negative expressions. (Author/RWB)

This study examined the relation of infant emotional responses of anger and sadness to cortisol response in 2 goal blockage situations. One goal blockage with 4-month-old infants (N=56) involved a contingency learning procedure where infants' learned response was no longer effective in reinstating an event. The other goal blockage with 6-month-old…

Observation and analysis of questionnaires completed by mothers of 82 handicapped children (three months to three years old) revealed that infants differed in temperament profile as a function of their dysfunction. (CL)

This study examined individual differences in 4-year-old children's expression of the self-conscious emotions of embarrassment and shame and their relation to differences in cortisol response to stress. Results indicated the presence of two different types of embarrassment--one that reflected negative evaluation of the self, and the other a…

Theories and descriptions of various infant fear behaviors are presented in this paper. Five examples of fear are given: (1) learned fear, in which the infant associates some unpleasant action with an agent, (2) unlearned fear, in which the infant experiences an intense sensory phenomena such as a loud noise, (3) stranger anxiety, (4) fear caused…

In Western societies, the study of emotional development has been retarded by the view that it is less important than cognitive development, but a review of relevant literature indicates emotional well-being may be as important as cognitive growth in determining life outcomes. Cognitive skills, physical health, and emotional well-being are all…

Examined facial expressions in relation to cognition in infants 2 to 8 months of age. A total of 48 subjects received an audiovisual stimulus contingent on arm movement, whereas 32 infants did not control the stimulus. Infants in the contingent group expressed greater interest and joy during learning and greater anger during extinction. (RH)

Maintains that the monograph, "Self-Evaluation in Young Children," by Stipek and others, forces a consideration of the "self" in "self-evaluation," and a rethinking of views about emotions. It attests to the lack of information on effects of socialization in early childhood. Monograph should add to research on the connection between cognition and…

Examined arousal regulation as a function of levels of prenatal cocaine exposure in 4-month-olds, using a "still face" procedure. Found that, independent of several other factors, a greater percentage of heavily cocaine-exposed infants, compared to unexposed infants, showed less enjoyment during "en face" play with their mothers and continued to…