Emotional understanding facilitates successful social competence because children rely upon knowledge of emotional states to detect peers' intentions and respond appropriately. High quality relationships between parents and children support the successful development of emotional understanding, while exposure to negative affect in the home has been associated with decreased skill in emotional understanding. Using a high-risk sample of 60 mothers and children with substantial diversity in relationship quality and maternal negative affect, the goal of the current research is to determine how early emotional and relationship experiences contribute to later emotional understanding. First, using a longitudinal design, this investigation will assess the importance of early parent-child relationships in promoting preschoolers' emotional understanding. Second, this investigation will address the role of maternal negative affect in later emotional understanding, with emphasis on the potential moderating effect of early relationships. Third, this investigation will examine the role of emotional understanding in promoting social competence among children who are at risk for adverse emotional and social outcomes, thus expanding current knowledge regarding the relation between emotional understanding and social competence in diverse samples.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F31)
Project #
5F31MH070130-02
Application #
6876510
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-RPHB-4 (20))
Program Officer
Ferrell, Courtney
Project Start
2004-05-01
Project End
2005-10-31
Budget Start
2005-05-01
Budget End
2005-10-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2005
Total Cost
$16,992
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Nebraska Lincoln
Department
Psychology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
555456995
City
Lincoln
State
NE
Country
United States
Zip Code
68588