Wait and see: Observational learning of emotion regulation strategies in young children

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Silvia Schneider
• Subject Area: Personality Psychology, Clinical and Medical Psychology, Methodology
• Term: from 2016 to 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 317986661

Emotion regulation is widely regarded as a crucial factor for mental health in children, adolescents and adults. Dysfunctional Emotion regulation is associated with mental disorder across the whole life span. The development of emotion regulation is a protracted process, starting in early infancy. However, surprisingly little is known about learning processes that might determine which emotional regulation strategies young children use when confronted with frustrating situations. Therefore, the main aim of the proposed project will be to investigate under which circumstances 2- and 2.5-year-old children learn an emotion regulation strategy in one-shot observational learning scenarios. In three studies, children will experience two situations designed to elicit frustration that is, they will have to have to wait for attractive rewards. Between the two waiting situations, children will observe how a model experiences a similar waiting situation and demonstrates how he or she distracts herself during the wait. In the observational learning scenario, the identity of the model (e.g., experimenter, caregiver) and the mode of presentation (live vs. in a picture book) will vary between conditions and studies. In Studies 1 and 2, children in control groups will experience the waiting situations without the observational learning scenario in between. We predict that childrens use of self-distraction will only increase after experiencing the observational learning scenario. We will explore which models and which mode of presentation of the learning situation is most favourable for learning. In Study 3, we will assess relations between childrens temperament and the structure of an observational learning situation. We predict that children benefit more from an observational learning situation if there is a match between their temperamental disposition and the models behaviour. The results of our study will improve our understanding of emotion regulation and will help to develop psychological intervention for the promotion of mental health in early childhood.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Cooperation Partner: Professorin Dr. Sabine Seehagen