List of 5 Specific Emotions | Children

Here is a list of five specific emotions. The emotions are: 1. Fear 2. Anger 3. Jealousy 4. Joy is One of the Positive Emotions 5. Affection is another Pleasant Emotion.

Emotion # 1. Fear:

Studies on children’s fear show that maturation and learning play an important role in the expression of fear reactions. A large number of fear responses are the result of conditioning. Parental fears, threats from adults, imaginative stories contribute to the development of fear in children. The fear- evoking stimuli must have three characteristics for their maximum effectiveness.

These are:

(a) Suddenness,

(b) Unexpectedness, and

(c) Novelty or unfamiliarity with the stimulus.

The nature of fears is related to the age of children. To begin with, the fears are mostly related to the physical injury and other bodily discomforts. Later, these fears become imaginary and social in content. Studies have shown that fears of children at the age of five are those of animals i.e., dogs, doctors, noises, storms, strange objects etc. Between the age of 6 and 10, blood, ghosts, death, dead bodies, lightning, dark and lonely places evoke fear.

One of the Indian studies points out that the most common fear-producing situations between 10 months to 16 months, were of animals, insects, loss of balance, unexpected noises, punishment and the fear of being left alone. As the children grew older and gained muscular control, the fear of loss of balance, unexpected noise decreased in frequency.

In another Indian study on the fears of children between eight to ten years, eight year olds show fear of death, supernatural things, of losing objects and possible injury. The nine-year olds indicate fears of school situations, reptiles, of losing things and supernatural phenomenon.

Control of Fears:

Feat for primitive man had a survival value, but in modern societies, fears may lead to maladaptive behaviour. Many of these fears lead to emotional tension. How can, fears be controlled? The child cannot be kept away from the fear-arousing situations all the time. It is neither practicable nor desirable.

Talking out about the feared object, may not help very much. The method of ‘disuse’ is sometimes adapted by parents. The child is kept away from the feared object till that time by which he has acquired the necessary skills to deal with the object. Another method used is that of ‘negative adaptation’. A repetition of the feared object makes it so familiar that it loses its fear-producing quality. This method is useful if the fear is mild.

Another method used is “distraction”. The child’s attention is drawn to the interesting features of the feared object. The satisfaction derived in this manner will be associated with the feared object and this will reduce the strength of fear. Development of a few skills to the used in a feared situation is another useful device.

Ridiculing children for their fears does not help. It leads the child to repress his fears. Repressed fears endanger mental health. The method of ‘social imitation’ has been found quite effective in dealing with fears. According to this, the child who shows fears of an object should be allowed to observe his friends and other children play with him. This will give him confidence and assurance and will help to eliminate his fear of the object.

The most effective approach in overcoming fears is “direct conditioning”. In the words of Krishnan, “the child may be brought, when he is in a pleasant mood, into contact with the feared object. The frequent association of pleasant situations with the feared object reduces the intensity of fear, and familiarity with the object thus established removes fear”.

The contact with the feared object should be made in such a way that the child does not feel forced or coerced. He comes into contact with it of his own accord.

Emotion # 2. Anger:

Anger is a very common emotion among children. The frequency of anger outbursts have been found to be greater when the child is playing, while dressing or undressing, at mealtime or when he is in bed. The usual causes are interference with movements, which the child wishes to make, either by his own inabilities, blocking of activities already in progress, thwarting of wishes, plans and purposes the child wants to carry out, direct conflict with authority, physical discomfort, changes in routine, defective social relationships.

Anger is expressed even when curiosity, self-assertion and display are thwarted at the age of 4 to 6 years. In later childhood and adolescence, any thwarting of desires, interruption of activities in progress, constant fault-finding, ‘lecturing’ or making unfavourable comparisons with other children, will lead to anger.

The form of expression of anger varies from one child to another, with age and training. As children grow, they adopt the socially approved methods of adjustment to anger-producing situations. Children under two years express their anger by hitting out or biting, stamping, kicking, jumping up and down, striking, throwing self on floor, or holding the breath.

Between 2 and 3 years, the child may make a physical attack meaning to cause injury to another child. After three years, the child may use abusive language in place of physical violence. What language he uses, depends on his upbringing and social milieu. The temper-tantrums may also be resorted to at this age.

When a child resort to temper-tantrums or violent outbursts of anger, he feels that he can control the situation. It is generally directed towards the person whom the child regards responsible for thwarting his demands.

The expression of anger changes as the child grows older. Older children express their anger in and through sulkiness, negativism, refusal to speak, fussiness, scolding and quarrelsomeness. The tendency to quarrel increases from seven to ten years, it reaches its peak by the age of fourteen or so and after that it declines.

Children differ greatly in their susceptibility to anger due to heredity, health status, environment and to the way they are dealt with by adults and other children.

The child, we have seen, gets angry when he experiences tension as a result of thwarting and frustration. This has to be realised in some way. His attention needs to be directed towards something else. Anger should be used into socially acceptable channels. Grown-up children should be taught a problem solving behaviour in copying with situations that provoke anger. They must also be taught how to express anger so as to avoid social disapproval.

Emotion # 3. Jealousy:

Jealousy is an outgrowth of anger. It is a sort of anger directed against a person of whom the child is jealous. It manifests itself most frequently in situations involving love-relationships, especially when the relationship is threatened. It is directed against the person who has threatened it a brother or a sister. The brief that a new born child must arouse jealousy in the older child is not correct.

If the older child has been prepared for the arrival of a new baby, jealousy may not develop. Jealousy may be directed against one of the parents as well. It may occur in the younger sibling who resents the privileges given to the older children of the family. Jealousy may be directed against a schoolmate or classmate around the 5th or 6th years.

Jealousy is expressed in the form of a physical attack during early childhood. The child either attacks his rival or the one of whom he is jealous. Slandering and ridiculing of the rivals may take the place of physical attack as children grow older. Sometimes, jealousy may be expressed in regressive behavioural actions i.e., thumb-sucking, bed-wetting, naughtiness, refusing to eat.

Jealousy is rare during mid-childhood. It is harmful when and if it is intense. In order to handle jealousy in children parents should not pamper the child. He should be given affection but proportionately. Companions should be avoided. Parents, again, should be objective when they praise children for their efforts and achievements.

Emotion # 4. Joy is One of the Positive Emotions:

In its milder forms, it is known as pleasure; delight or happiness. The health and general bodily condition of the child influences his emotional response. Joy is associated with the physical well-being of the child. Social situation evoke it after three months. Joy is evoked by fondling a few months later. Gradually, more situations and more complex situations call forth the joyful emotions. In congruous situations play on words, slight calamities, sudden and unexpected noises become the stimuli later.

Joy is expressed in smiling, laughing, and a generally relaxed state of the entire body. In infancy, joy is expressed in the increased body movements.

Emotion # 5. Affection is another Pleasant Emotion:

It is directed towards persons, animals or things. It is aroused through pleasant experiences with people or objects. In the beginning the child shows affection for those who attend to his needs, who play with him and who give him comfort or who give him pleasure. It is not an innate emotional response directed toward parents, grand-parents or others with whom the child has a blood tie. Affection is transformed into a love sentiment in adolescence when the sex organs reach their mature size and function.

The early stimuli are human beings, animals and toys. Children between 3 and 5 show intense affection to those who take part in their activities. During adolescence, affection is directed more towards people than towards animals. It is directed towards the members of the family and relatives. Interest centres on members of the same sex. In later adolescence, it centres on members of the opposite sex.

To start with, affection expresses itself in hugging, patting, kissing, fondling, smiling and laughing. With growth in age, the desire is to be with the loved ones. Earlier forms are inhibited and replaced by verbal responses mixed with smiling and physical relaxation. It must be noted, however, that forms of expression of affection are, to a great extent, determined by training, socio­economic status of the family to which the individual belongs, to the cultural demands or sanctions enforced by the community or society.