Abstract
This chapter describes central stages in the development of emotions and emotion regulation. A developmental theory is proposed that focuses on the complex interaction of emotions and social interactions. Expression signs for emotions in caregiver–child interaction are seen as an important mediating factor that serves as the critical means of communication, particularly during early ontogenesis, and through which culture enters emotion. The growing ability to regulate emotions intrapersonally becomes increasingly important for a socially coordinated and adequate regulation of actions. Based on recent empirical evidence, three of the five stages of emotional development are described: (1) The stereotypical precursor emotions of newborns are followed by sign-mediated emotion systems in the toddler that are based on caregiver–child interactions. These are mediated by expression signs modulated, and in part created, by the cultural context. Their purpose is to influence the caregiver’s behavior in terms of caring for the child; that is, they serve an interpersonal regulation function. (2) Starting at toddler’s age, emotions begin to serve an intrapersonal regulation function; that is, they direct the child’s behavior toward his or her own motives. Thus children actively learn to control their emotions. (3) During school age, the increasing internalization of emotional expression signs (making them “invisible” to an observer) is associated with adherence to cultural rules as well as with the possibility of deception. The ability to regulate emotions becomes more efficient owing to more flexible social coordination of motive satisfaction.
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Holodynski, M. (2009). Milestones and Mechanisms of Emotional Development. In: Markowitsch, H., Röttger-Rössler, B. (eds) Emotions as Bio-cultural Processes. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-09546-2_7
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