An Observational Study of Children's Attempts to Monitor Their Expressive Behavior

TLDR

Child development research investigates how children regulate expressive behavior in conflictful situations. The study examined developmental patterns in children’s attempts to regulate expressive behavior when a desirable reward expectation was violated. The authors created a scenario where children were instructed to appear pleased while receiving an undesirable gift, and recorded their expressive behavior. Analysis revealed significant age‑by‑sex interactions: younger boys were more likely to display negative affect when receiving an undesirable gift, whereas older girls tended to maintain positive expressions, indicating developmental differences in awareness, implementation, and motivation of social display rules.

Abstract

SAARNI, CAROLYN. An Observational Study of Children's Attempts to Monitor Their Expressive Behavior. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1984, 55, 1504-1513. This observational study examined developmental patterns in children's attempts to regulate their expressive behavior in a mildly conflictful situation that was contrived by creating expectations in children for receiving a desirable reward but in fact receiving an undesirable one. This situation provided a limited sample of children's expressive behavior when faced with an implied display rule: Look pleased, despite receiving a disappointing gift. Videotapes of the children's expressive behavior were analyzed, and the major findings included significant age x sex interactions wherein the youngest children (especially boys) were more likely to show negative behavior on receiving an undesirable gift (i.e., a drab baby toy), while the older children (especially girls) were more likely to maintain their positive expressive behavior. The results are discussed in terms of developmental differences in (a) awareness of social rules for management of expressive behavior, (b) ability to implement the rule, and (c) motivation to carry out the rule.