Einfluss der Aufgabenstellung und des Wortschatzes auf die Emotionserkennung bei Drei- bis Fünfjährigen

Abstract

Zusammenfassung. Diese Studie untersucht Altersunterschiede in den Fähigkeiten zur Emotionserkennung bei Kindergartenkindern und prüft, inwiefern sich die Aufgabenstellung und der Wortschatz auf diese Aspekte des Emotionswissens auswirken. Hierfür wurde die Fähigkeit zum Benennen und Erkennen von Emotionen anhand von Fotos und vorgegebenen Situationen bei N=170 Drei- bis Fünfjährigen ( n=86 Mädchen) mit dem EMK 3 – 6 und der Wortschatz mit dem SET 3 – 5 erfasst. Es wurde ein signifikanter Effekt des Alters und der Aufgabenstellung festgestellt. Der stärkste Zuwachs in der Emotionserkennung zeigte sich in allen Aufgaben im Alter zwischen drei und vier Jahren. Die Erkennungsleistung fiel für Fotos am genauesten aus, am schwersten fiel es Kindern, nach vorgegebenen Situationen den passenden Gesichtsausdruck abzuleiten. Der Wortschatz beeinflusste die Leistungen im Benennen, jedoch nicht im Erkennen von Basisemotionen. Die Ergebnisse lassen sich in die aktuelle Forschung integrieren und liefern wichtige Hinweise für die Diagnostik und Förderung des Emotionswissens.

Effects of Task Assignment and Vocabulary on Emotion Recognition in 3- to 5-Year-Olds

Abstract. Emotion knowledge represents the basis of interpersonal communication and social skills. The ability to recognize or label emotional expression and the ability to infer emotions from situations are central components of emotion knowledge. The aim of this study was to examine developmental changes in these components of emotion knowledge during preschool. The second aim was to investigate to what extent task assignment and vocabulary influence preschoolers’ performance. For this purpose, the data of 170 preschoolers (girls n = 86) were collected using four tasks of the EMK 3 – 6. Furthermore, vocabulary was tested using the SET 3 – 5. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measurement (mode of tasks; label and recognition emotional expressions vs. label and recognition of emotional situations × age groups, 3 – 5 years) was performed. To determine whether performance in four tasks differed between children with and without vocabulary deficits, all scores were entered in a multivariate ANOVA (MANOVA). The ANOVA with repeated measurement confirmed significant age differences across all examined features – labeling emotional expressions: F _(2,167) = 12.76, p = .000, η ² = .133; recognizing emotional expression: F _(2,167) = 23.02, p = .000, η ² = .216; labeling emotional situations: F _(2,167) = 7.82, p = .001, η ² = .086; recognizing emotional situations: F _(2,167) = 17.19, p = .000, η ² = .171. Contrast analyses showed significant differences in all emotion competences between 3-year- and 4-year-olds. The 4- and 5-year-olds, however, differed only in emotion recognition tasks. Second, there was also a significant effect of method ( F _(3,165) = 61.39, p = .000, η ² =.527) but no interaction with age. Children performed tasks in this order: recognizing emotional expressions, labeling emotional expressions, labeling emotional situations, and recognizing emotional situations. Results of MANOVA showed that children with vocabulary deficits had significantly lower scores in emotion labeling tasks – labeling emotional expressions: F _(1,168) = 6.74, p = .010, η ² = .039; labeling emotional situations: F _(1,168) = 6.93, p = .009, η ² = .040 – and no significant differences in emotion recognition tasks. The results highlight relevant improvements in the ability to recognize and label emotions and emotional situations in preschool age children. A hierarchy of difficulty for the tasks was supported and can be integrated into the current research. Further, tasks of the EMK 3 – 6 are well suited to measure different components of emotion knowledge. Children with vocabulary deficits were on average less proficient in labeling tasks. Therefore, the consideration of receptive and expressive language skills ensures that children understand the task instructions, but also allows for a better interpretation of children’s performance and determination of strengths and deficits in the emotional domain. Finally, results provide further evidence of the significant role early promotion of emotional competence plays in early childhood.