Developmental Contributions to Emotional Awareness

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• The Levels of Emotional Awareness Scale (LEAS) is a validated measure of emotional awareness (EA).
• The developmental trajectory of EA as a cognitive skill has been underexplored since its initial validation.
• Previous research has not fully examined the cognitive-developmental underpinnings of EA.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the developmental nature of emotional awareness (EA) using the Levels of Emotional Awareness Scale (LEAS).
• To explore the relationship between LEAS scores and established measures of cognitive and ego development.
• To propose a cognitive-developmental framework for understanding emotional awareness.

Main Methods:

• Multiple regression analyses were conducted on a sample of 94 participants from the original LEAS validation study.
• Developmental measures, including the Object Relations Inventory and Sentence Completion Test of Ego Development, were utilized.
• Affective measures assessing daily emotional experiences were also included.

Main Results:

• Developmental measures uniquely predicted variance in LEAS scores.
• Higher LEAS scores were associated with greater variance in reported positive, guilt, and shame emotions.
• Findings support a link between LEAS scores and developmental progression.

Conclusions:

• LEAS scores plausibly reflect a 3-dimensional cognitive-developmental framework.
• This framework includes shifts in focus from external to internal characteristics, increased conceptual complexity, and enhanced self-other differentiation.
• The findings offer implications for understanding EA's nature and guiding future research.