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Children distinguish between positive pride and hubris
Nicole L Nelson, James A Russell1
1Department of Psychology, Boston College.
Developmental Psychology
|September 9, 2015
Summary
Children can distinguish between expressions of hubris and pride, similar to adults. This ability develops with age, and girls show a stronger distinction than boys.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Social Cognition
- Emotion Recognition
Background:
- Adults differentiate between expressions of hubris and positive pride.
- Understanding the development of these social-emotional distinctions in children is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether children can distinguish between expressions of hubris and positive pride.
- To examine age and gender differences in children's ability to make this distinction.
Main Methods:
- 183 children (78-198 months) were presented with dynamic expressions.
- Participants attributed emotion labels and social characteristics to these expressions.
- Data were analyzed for age and gender effects.
Main Results:
- Children, like adults, attributed different emotion labels to hubris and pride expressions.
- The ability to distinguish expressions increased with age.
- Girls were more adept at differentiating than boys.
- Children associated positive characteristics with pride and negative characteristics with hubris.
Conclusions:
- Children develop the capacity to distinguish between hubris and pride expressions.
- This developmental trajectory is influenced by age and gender.
- Early social-cognitive abilities shape children's understanding of complex social cues.
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