Young Children's Responses to Expressions of Anger and Affection by Others in the Family.

CUMMINGS, E. MARK; ZAHN-WAXLER, CAROLYN; and RADKE-YARROW, MARIAN. Young Children's Responses to Expressions of Anger and Affection by Others in the Family. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1981, 52, 1274-1282. The responses of 1-2k-year-old children as bystanders to naturally occurring and simulated expressions of anger and affection by others were recorded by their mothers, who were trained to act as observers. Expressions of anger seemed to act as socioenvironmental stressors, frequently causing distress in young children. The probability of distress responses was heightened when others' angry interactions included physical attack. Repeated exposure to interparent anger increased the likelihood of a negative emotional reaction by children and also of efforts by children to become actively involved in the conflicts. It was hypothesized that frequently viewing such incidents threatened children's sense of security with regard to their social environment. Affectionate interactions between others were most often responded to with affection and overt signs of pleasure, although jealous responses were not uncommon. The results suggest that, by approximately 1 year of age, children are not only aware of others' angry or affectionate interactions but are also quite likely to evidence an emotional reaction to them.