A study of the ability to judge surface emotion and real emotion in children between four to six years of age (Estudio sobre la capacidad de identificar y diferenciar entre emociones visibles y emociones reales de los niños de cuatro a seis años)

ABSTRACT

This study investigated differences between the ability to judge surface emotions and real emotions in pretend/deceptive situations. Using the scenario approach, our results showed that the ability to judge surface/real emotions is affected by pretend and deceptive situations in children aged 4–6 years. We found that in pretend situations, the accuracy of judging surface emotion was higher than that for real emotions in children aged four and five years. In four-year-old children, the accuracy of judging surface emotion in pretend situations was higher than that in deceptive situations; however, in children aged four and five years, the accuracy of judging real emotions in deceptive situations was higher than that in pretend situations. Additionally, the ability to judge surface emotions and real emotions in either situation was found to increase with age. These results show how pretend/deceptive situations affect the ability to judge surface emotions and real emotions of children. This is important to expand the relevant theories of the theory of mind.