Developmental impacts of deprivation and threat on emotion recognition

Abstract

Dimensional models of early adversity propose developmental mechanisms by which threat and deprivation confer risk for psychopathology. Exposure to violent environments may influence social information processing biases, and limited access to complex learning environments might be associated with general challenges in emotion recognition. We examined associations of adversity measured early in development (6–36 months) and emotion recognition in early (72 months) and middle (96 months) childhood in a sample of 92 mother-child dyads. Low cognitive stimulation negatively predicted early childhood emotion recognition (β = −0.32, p = .01). Moreover, experiences of intimate-partner violence were associated with anger bias, but not global emotion recognition, in early (β = 0.24, p = .01), and middle (β = 0.18, p = .04) childhood. This pattern suggests that while the lack of exposure to complex learning experiences might impact children's conceptual knowledge of emotions, children who experience violence show biases that facilitate threat detection.