Children's Emotional inference According to the Character's Personality Traits and Emotional Situations

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association 2005;43(5):221-234.

과제인물의 성격특성과 정서상황에 따른 아동의 정서추론

Ha Na Chung, Soon Hyung Yi

Dept. of Child Development & Family Studies, Seoul National Univ.

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the emotional inferences depending on the children's age, character's personality traits, and emotional situations. One hundred three subjects (34 3-year-olds, 33 5-year-olds and 36 7-year-olds) were recruited from 3 daycare centers and 1 elementary school. Eight stories, consisting of four personality traits (positive-'active','helpful', negative-'selfish','mean') and two emotional situations (equivocal and unequivocal situation), were presented with three pictures each. The statistical methods adopted for the data analysis were repeated measure ANOVA, and paired t-test. The results showed that the 3-year-olds showed lower scores of emotional inferences than the 5- and 7-year-olds. However, there were no significant differences between the 5- and 7-year-olds. Children showed more personal inferential responses in the negative personality trait and equivocal situation.

Keywords: 정서 추론, emotional inference, 성격특성, personality trait, 정서상황, emotional situation