The Online Assessment of Emotional Knowledge in Toddlerhood

Abstract

Emotional knowledge (EK) is broadly defined as the ability to identify and understand emotions. Despite being recognized as a foundational component of socioemotional development in childhood, early emergence of EK is seldom explored before age 3. Similarly, research has yet to explore the feasibility of assessing young children's EK via online assessment, despite the growing relevance and potential of this modality in expanding research accessibility. To address these research gaps, a sample of 92 toddlers (age range: 18–36-months, 52 female and 40 male) and their mothers (M_age = 32.6 years; 50% White Canadian) participated in this exploratory study investigating the feasibility of assessing toddler EK using virtual assessment tools. Results provide evidence for future potential assessing toddler EK online, as most toddlers (66.7%) were able to participate in at least one component of the virtual assessment task. Methodological strengths and suggestions are discussed to facilitate future research that incorporates online assessments with younger children.

Trial Registration: ClinicalTrial.gov identifier: NCT04772677