PROFILES OF EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT - INDIVIDUAL-DIFFERENCES IN FACIAL AND VOCAL EXPRESSION OF EMOTION DURING THE 2ND AND 3RD YEARS OF LIFE

This study is a third-year (34 months) follow-up investigation of the socioemotional behaviours of preterm and fullterm children previously seen at four points in time during the first two years of life. A tota l of 42 mother/child pairs were seen for videotaped mother/child and c hild/peer play sessions. The tapes were coded on a second-to-second ba sis using Izard's MAX facial affect coding system and a vocal affect c oding system. Data analysis focused on the contribution of the individ ual difference variables of gender, birth status, attachment classific ation, and maternal contingency behaviour, to children's expressive de velopment. Expressive patterns in the third year were also compared wi th those obtained during the children's second year. Results indicated that contrary to developmental theory, facial expressivity does not d ecrease, at least during this developmental period, and moreover, that vocal affective expression increases. It is suggested that what child ren learn in development, is greater flexibility in the use of differe nt systems to communicate affect, and greater facility in modulating e xpressivity according to context. Birth status was found to continue t o affect the nature of affective development into the third year; pret erm children were less vocally expressive than their fullterm counterp arts, and preterm females showed greater facial negativity. Few other gender differences in expressivity were apparent, although mothers tre ated their children differentially. Moderate maternal contingency in i nfancy was related to greater vocal affectivity in children. Insecure attachment was associated with a degree of apparent tension and affect ive disharmony.