emotions and action in a developmental perspective1 paul van geert & henderien steenbeek...

emotions and action in a developmental perspective 1

Paul van Geert & Henderien SteenbeekUniversity of Groningen

[email protected]@ppsw.rug.nl

Emotions in developmental perspective: a Dynamic Systems

Approach (of a functionalist approach)

Paul van Geert & Henderien SteenbeekUniversity of Groningen

[email protected]@ppsw.rug.nl

Emotions in developmental perspective: a Dynamic Systems

Approach (of a functionalist approach)


OverviewOverviewOverviewOverview


OverviewOverview

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


Theory about emotionsTheory about emotionsTheory about emotionsTheory about emotions


Starting point?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?


Functionalist approach (1 of 2)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


Functionalist approach (2 of 2)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


dynamic systems approachdynamic systems approach

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

No dynamic model available at this time? Research in “human” robotics…

No dynamic model available at this time? Research in “human” robotics…

Considerably easier to model …

Considerably easier to model …


Common themesCommon 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


Interaction-emotion modelInteraction-emotion modelTheoryTheory

Functionalist approachFunctionalist approach


Functionalist approachFunctionalist approach


Process at one momentProcess 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


What is a concern?What is a concern?

Preferred

Realized


Concern and DriveConcern and Drive

DriveRP -


Various Concerns and DrivesVarious Concerns and Drives

DriveRP -Involvement

RP -Autonomy

Drive


Concern – Drive – Emotion - BehaviorConcern – Drive – Emotion - Behavior

D

EmotionalAppraisal

RP - Behavior

EmotionalExpression



Dynamic System approachDynamic System approach


Dynamic System approachDynamic System approach


Process from moment to momentProcess 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


Research questionResearch 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


Predictions from the literaturePredictions 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


The model: one moment The model: one moment

Child 1 Child 2

D

EA

RP - B

EE

D

EA

P R-B

EE


The model: two momentsThe model: two moments

D

EA

RP - B

EE

D

EA

P R-B

EE

D

EA

RP - B

EE

D

EA

P R-B

EE

Moment 1

Moment 2


D

EA

RP - B

EE

D

EA

P R-B

EE

Influence of BehaviorInfluence of Behavior

D

EA

RP - B

EE

D

EA

P R-B

EE

Moment 1Moment 1

Moment 2


Influence of expressionInfluence of expression

D

EA

RP - B

EE

D

EA

P R-B

EE

D

EA

RP - B

EE

D

EA

P R-B

EE

Moment 1Moment 1

Moment 2


Interaction-emotion modelInteraction-emotion modelApplicationApplication

Simulation of types of childrenSimulation of types of children

Interaction-emotion modelInteraction-emotion modelApplicationApplication

Simulation of types of childrenSimulation of types of children


Basic variables - input (1)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


Basic variables - input (2)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)


inputparametersinputparameters

Inputparameterswhich do we distinguish? what can be manipulated?

Concerns Involvement The strength of the concernsAutonomy 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 whichand 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 principlesof behaviour Symmetry in relation to each other








Types of childrenTypes of children

Start valuesInputparameters

Concerns

Contribution B -> RC

EA and EE

Contribution EE -> PC

Basic principles

average status partner:average

I stronger than A - stronger thanI: averageA: average

Pos:moderateNeg: moderate

Pos: averageNeg:average

C: averageS: average

average status partner: popular

I stronger than A - much stronger thanI: averageA: high

Pos:moderateNeg: difficult

Pos: bigNeg: big

C: averageS: big

average status partner: rejected

I stronger than A - little bit stronger thanI: averageA: average

Pos: moderateNeg: moderate

Pos:averageNeg:average


Popular status partner: average

I stronger than A -stronger thanI: averageA: average

Pos:moderateNeg:moderate

Pos:averageNeg:average

C:averageS:average

rejected status partner: average


Pos: moderateNeg:difficult

Pos: bigNeg:big

C:averageS: big

average status partner:average

I stronger than A - stronger thanI: averageA: average

Pos:moderateNeg: moderate

Pos: averageNeg:average


Start valuesInputparameters

Concerns

Contribution B -> RC

EA and EE

Contribution EE -> PC

Basic principles

rejected status partner: average


Pos: moderateNeg:difficult

Pos: bigNeg:big

C:averageS: big

average status partner: popular


Pos:moderateNeg:difficult

Pos: bigNeg: big

C: averageS: big

All children have similar parameter values, except in the context of playing with a child of a higher sociometric status

Demonstration


Validation withValidation with

empirical dataempirical dataValidation withValidation with

empirical dataempirical data


Videotapes of children in grade 1Videotapes 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


Empirical variablesEmpirical variables

Variables Emotional expression

Quantitative aspect From very positive to very negative 10 categories of intensity

Contribution to coherence Verbal turns, nonverbal turns, focus

Distinctive patterns

for dyads with

popular and rejected

children?


Validation of the modelValidation 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


ResultsResultsEmpirical dataEmpirical data


ResultsResultsEmpirical dataEmpirical data



Results empirical dataResults 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)


Model output: Proportion positive expressions per childModel output: Proportion positive expressions per child

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1

rejected average coupled with rejected average coupled with average


Model output: Proportion positive expressions per childModel output: Proportion positive expressions per child

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1

rejected rejected observed average (a-a) average observed


Emotional expressionmodel and empirical data along the time axisEmotional expressionmodel and empirical data along the time axis

-3

-2

-1

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

model child model peer

-2

-1

0

1

2

3

4

5

child peer

model

empirie


Emotional expressionsmooth graph model and empirical data along time axis

Emotional expressionsmooth graph model and empirical data along time axis

-0.5

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

model child model peer

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

child peer

model

data


Interaction-emotion modelInteraction-emotion modelDevelopmental perspectiveDevelopmental perspective

Interaction-emotion modelInteraction-emotion modelDevelopmental perspectiveDevelopmental perspective


Developmental perspectiveDevelopmental perspective

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

•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

•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

So far, we have investigated

•Simple learning effects on the preferred values of the concerns, based on repeated runs of the model

So far, we have investigated

•Simple learning effects on the preferred values of the concerns, based on repeated runs of the model


ConclusionConclusionConclusionConclusion


Conclusion (1)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


Conclusion (2)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 perspective1 paul van geert & henderien steenbeek...

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