Emotion Expression in Preschool Children : The Influence of Groups on Individuals

This study examines how peer group dynamics influence emotion expression among preschool-aged children, focusing on positive and negative emotions in relation to age and gender. Data was collected from 75 children across three different play situations, each characterized by varying levels of group emotion expression. Descriptive statistics highlighted the mean scores and variability in positive and negative emotion expression across the sample. Inferential statistics, including multiple linear regression and correlation analyses, were employed to test hypotheses derived from the existing literature. The results revealed a significant positive relationship between the group’s positive emotion expression and the individual children’s positive emotion expression across all three situations. Conversely, age did not significantly predict positive emotion expression in any context. Regarding negative emotion expression, a strong positive association was found between the group’s negative emotion expression and the individual children’s negative emotion expression in all situations. Gender differences, however, did not significantly influence negative emotion expression across the studied contexts. These findings suggest that peer group influence plays a crucial role in shaping emotion expression among preschool children, particularly in how they exhibit positive and negative emotions during play. The study underscores the importance of peer interactions in emotion regulation and expression. Future research should explore additional factors influencing emotion expression in a variety of social settings.