Paul van Geert & Henderien Steenbeek University of Groningen vangeert@inn.nl h.w.steenbeek@ppsw.rug.nl

1. Paul van Geert & Henderien Steenbeek University of Groningen vangeert@inn.nl h.w.steenbeek@ppsw.rug.nl Emotions in developmental perspective: a Dynamic Systems Approach (of a functionalist approach) emotions and action in a developmental perspective

2. Overview emotions and action in a developmental perspective

3. Overview • Theory about emotions • Our interaction-emotion model • based on functionalist approach • based on dynamic systems approach • Application • Simulation of various types of children • Validation of the model based on empirical observations • Conclusion and discussion emotions and action in a developmental perspective

4. Theory about emotions emotions and action in a developmental perspective

5. Starting point? • What is the starting point? • A definition of emotion? • How does this definition of emotion determine our view on how emotions function in behavior? • Functional model of an organism? • How does this model of an organism determine our view of what emotions are? emotions and action in a developmental perspective

6. Functionalist approach (1 of 2) • cognitive-social theories • Central aspect: appraisal • necessity of cognition • Explain an emotion on the basis of its function • The function is an appraisal of the situation in relation to concerns (Frijda) • Debate about existence of basic emotions • biosocial theories • Biologically determined • E.g. basic emotions emotions and action in a developmental perspective

7. Functionalist approach (2 of 2) Campos (1994) • Emotion is relational rather than intra-psychic • Close interrelation between emotion and goals • Expressions as social signals • Physiology of emotions can regulate and be regulated by social processes • The emergence of empirical investigations of emotions emotions and action in a developmental perspective

8. dynamic systems approach No dynamic model available at this time? Research in “human” robotics… • Emotion is a self-organizing process • M. Lewis, L. Camras, … • Interactions between variables make the process • Emotions, expressions, behavior, context … • A. Fogel • Iterative process • Influence from process in time t to process in time t+1 Considerably easier to model … emotions and action in a developmental perspective

9. Common themes • Emotion is relational • As part of interaction of individual with environment • Interrelation with other variables within the individual, e.g. goals • Variables that form an emotion, e.g. appraisal, drive, feelings, expression • Emotion is social • Influence on social process • Influence from social process • Real time and developmental time emotions and action in a developmental perspective

10. Interaction-emotion model Theory Functionalist approach emotions and action in a developmental perspective

11. Process at one moment • The behavior of an individual is driven by the appraisal of the situation • Appraisal relates to the concerns of the individual • and is translated into an emotional expression emotions and action in a developmental perspective

12. What is a concern? Preferred Realized emotions and action in a developmental perspective

13. Drive Concern and Drive - P R emotions and action in a developmental perspective

14. - - P P R R Drive Drive Various Concerns and Drives Involvement Autonomy emotions and action in a developmental perspective

15. Behavior - P R Emotional Expression Emotional Appraisal Concern – Drive – Emotion - Behavior D emotions and action in a developmental perspective

16. Interaction-emotion model Theory Dynamic System approach emotions and action in a developmental perspective

17. Process from moment to moment • Iterative process • Influence from process in time t on process in time t + 1 • Social process • Influence from individual 1 to individual 2 and 2 to 1 emotions and action in a developmental perspective

18. Research question • Can we make a dynamic systems simulation model that generates distinct patterns • of behavioral interaction • of emotional expressions • for different types of individuals, comparable with empirical findings? • Children in grade 1 in a play situation • Different sociometric status emotions and action in a developmental perspective

19. Predictions from the literature • Popular children show more positive emotions than average/rejected • in parent-child interaction (Black and Logan, 1995) • In child-child interaction (Rubin, 1998) • Biggest difference between rejected and popular children emotions and action in a developmental perspective

20. - B B D D P R - EE EE EA EA R P The model: one moment Child 2 Child 1 emotions and action in a developmental perspective

21. - - B B B B D D D D P P R R - - EE EE EE EE EA EA EA EA R R P P The model: two moments Moment 1 Moment 2 emotions and action in a developmental perspective

22. - - B B B B D D D D P P R R - - EE EE EE EE EA EA EA EA R R P P Influence of Behavior Moment 1 Moment 2 emotions and action in a developmental perspective

23. - - B B B B D D D D P P R R - - EE EE EE EE EA EA EA EA R R P P Influence of expression Moment 1 Moment 2 emotions and action in a developmental perspective

24. Interaction-emotion model Application Simulation of types of children emotions and action in a developmental perspective

25. Basic variables - input (1) • Concerns • The strenght of the concerns in relation to each other • Behaviors • The contribution of behavior to the realisation of the concern emotions and action in a developmental perspective

26. Basic variables - input (2) • Emotional Appraisal and Expressions • The ease with which an appraisal is translated in an expression • The contribution of expression to the preference of a concern • Basic principles of Behavior • Symmetry (mirror what the other person does) emotions and action in a developmental perspective

27. Inputparameters which do we distinguish? what can be manipulated? Concerns Involvement The strength of the concerns Autonomy in relation to each other Contribution behaviour Playing Alone The strength of the contribution to realisation of Playing Together of behaviour to the realisation of concerns the concern Emotional appraisal Positive expression The ease with which and expression Neutral expression evaluation is translated in Negative expression an expression Contribution expression Influence of positive expression The strength of the contribution to preference of of expression to the preference of concerns IInfluence of negative expression the concern Basic principles Continuity The strength of the basic principles of behaviour Symmetry in relation to each other inputparameters emotions and action in a developmental perspective

28. average status partner: popular I stronger than A - much stronger than I: average A: high Pos:moderate Neg: difficult Pos: big Neg: big C: average S: big Types of children All children have similar parameter values, except in the context of playing with a child of a higher sociometric status Demonstration emotions and action in a developmental perspective

29. Validation with empirical data emotions and action in a developmental perspective

30. Videotapes of children in grade 1 • dyads • A child with a popular status in interaction with an average play partner • A child with a rejected status in interaction with an average play partner • Control group: two average status children • 7 minutes play • Three times, with interval of approximately one and a half month emotions and action in a developmental perspective

31. Empirical variables Distinctive patterns for dyads with popular and rejected children? Variables • Emotional expression • Quantitative aspect • From very positive to very negative • 10 categories of intensity • Contribution to coherence • Verbal turns, nonverbal turns, focus emotions and action in a developmental perspective

32. Validation of the model • Use of videotaped interactions • Comparison of variables / output model • Emotional expression • Positive, neutral and negative expression • Behavior • Playing Together and alone: contribution to coherence • Comparison of • characteristics of patterns • averages emotions and action in a developmental perspective

33. Results Empirical data Validation of the model emotions and action in a developmental perspective

34. Results empirical data • Emotional expression • Children with a rejected status show significantly more positive expressions than children of other status groups (duration) • Dyads including a child with a rejected status show a high correlation in positive emotions (duration); correlation considerably higher than in other dyads • The highest peak in the expression of the play partner of a child with a rejected status is significantly more often negative (intensity) emotions and action in a developmental perspective

35. Model output: Proportion positive expressions per child emotions and action in a developmental perspective

36. Model output: Proportion positive expressions per child emotions and action in a developmental perspective

37. Emotional expressionmodel and empirical data along the time axis model empirie emotions and action in a developmental perspective

38. Emotional expressionsmooth graph model and empirical data along time axis model data emotions and action in a developmental perspective

39. Interaction-emotion model Developmental perspective emotions and action in a developmental perspective

40. Developmental perspective • So far, we have investigated • The effect of various parameter sets on the model output • The distribution of the values produced by the model • The distribution of empirical values • The agreement between empirical data and model output • Time scales • Real time and developmental time • Model provides insight into real time properties of emotional expression in children • Influence of developmental time on real-time processes • In children with different sociometric statuses • Model provides insight into long term effects of processes in real time • Real-time interactions lead to changes in developmental processes • So far, we have investigated • Simple learning effects on the preferred values of the concerns, based on repeated runs of the model emotions and action in a developmental perspective

41. Conclusion emotions and action in a developmental perspective

42. Conclusion (1) • Theoretical starting point: • from modelling interactions (organismic level) we try to get a grip on the role and properties of emotions • our model encompasses both functionalist and dynamic systems theory • Characteristics of emotional expression in children: • Emotions are determined not only by child characteristics, but also by attribution from peers (play partners) • It’s the dyadic process that creates the specific patterns of expressions, not the individual emotions and action in a developmental perspective

43. Conclusion (2) • Developmental perspective • Two way influence • from and on scale of real time-time • Sociometric differences in expression • Literature : opposite findings • Model provides means to study conditions under which specific behaviors and expressions occur • Influence of contexts emotions and action in a developmental perspective