TY - JOUR

T1 - A cultural comparison of children’s emotion knowledge

T2 - Data from two cultures

AU - Schapira, Rotem

AU - von Salisch, Maria

AU - Voltmer, Katharina

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2024.

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - Knowing about emotions is vital for children’s school adjustment, well-being, and future social relationships. Whereas experiencing emotions is a universal psychological process at the biological level, how emotions are categorized and communicated is shaped by culture. Most studies have investigated cultural differences in emotion (knowledge) in Western and Eastern cultures. To compare emotion knowledge within Western countries, N = 585 children from Germany and N = 100 children from Israel in the two age groups preschool (42–71 months) and primary school (72–89 months) were interviewed with the Adaptive Test of Emotion Knowledge for Three- to Nine-Year-Olds (ATEM 3-9). Generalized linear models (GLMs) indicate that children from Israel showed higher levels of emotion knowledge in the total score and in all seven components of emotion knowledge than their agemates from Germany. These results highlight the importance of differences in family structure and values within Western countries. It is important to determine the various factors and the socialization in the family and in educational institutions that influence emotion knowledge in Germany and Israel.

AB - Knowing about emotions is vital for children’s school adjustment, well-being, and future social relationships. Whereas experiencing emotions is a universal psychological process at the biological level, how emotions are categorized and communicated is shaped by culture. Most studies have investigated cultural differences in emotion (knowledge) in Western and Eastern cultures. To compare emotion knowledge within Western countries, N = 585 children from Germany and N = 100 children from Israel in the two age groups preschool (42–71 months) and primary school (72–89 months) were interviewed with the Adaptive Test of Emotion Knowledge for Three- to Nine-Year-Olds (ATEM 3-9). Generalized linear models (GLMs) indicate that children from Israel showed higher levels of emotion knowledge in the total score and in all seven components of emotion knowledge than their agemates from Germany. These results highlight the importance of differences in family structure and values within Western countries. It is important to determine the various factors and the socialization in the family and in educational institutions that influence emotion knowledge in Germany and Israel.

KW - ATEM 3-9

KW - cultural differences

KW - Emotion knowledge

KW - emotional competence

KW - preschools

KW - school-age children

KW - Psychology

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85205078699&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/3b67a551-33fe-3563-8545-9404b533bf33/

U2 - 10.1177/01650254241277789

DO - 10.1177/01650254241277789

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:85205078699

JO - International Journal of Behavioral Development

JF - International Journal of Behavioral Development

SN - 0165-0254

ER -