Children's understanding of the distinction between real and apparent emotions: a training study

The effects of two types of training on 4-year-old children's understanding of the distinction between experienced positive affect and neutral or negative display were examined. One type of training provided first-hand experience of possible discrepancies between facial expression and actual affect. The other training focused on the sorts of motives that might prompt the concealment of positive affect. Compared with a control group, both experimental groups showed modest gains.