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Age differences in intensity of emotional expression between younger and older infants

Marta E Losonczy-Marshall1

  • 1Psychology Department, Salisbury University, 1101 Camden Avenue, Salisbury, MD 21810, USA. melosonczy@salisbury.edu

Perceptual and Motor Skills
|February 25, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Older infants aged 9-13 months show more intense emotional expressions than younger infants aged 7-8 months. This study compared infant emotional responses to various stimuli.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental psychology
  • Infant emotional development

Background:

  • Infant emotional expression intensity changes with age.
  • Understanding these changes is crucial for developmental research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the intensity of emotional expression between younger (7-8 months) and older (9-13 months) infants.
  • To analyze age-related differences in emotional responses to standardized stimuli.

Main Methods:

  • 82 healthy infants (7-13 months) were exposed to 12 randomized emotional stimuli.
  • Emotional responses were video-recorded and analyzed using the Parameters of Emotional Expression (PEEX) scale.
  • PEEX incorporated MAX facial codes and Lab-Tab vocal/bodily items, with reliable coding.

Main Results:

  • Older infants (9-13 months) exhibited significantly more intense emotional expressions compared to younger infants (7-8 months).

Conclusions:

  • Infant emotional expression intensity significantly increases between 7-8 months and 9-13 months of age.
  • This developmental progression highlights maturational changes in emotional regulation and expression.

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