Effects of Elicited Emotions on Cognitive Functioning of Preschool Children With Different Types of Temperament

Abstract

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of elicited positive and negative emotions on cognitive functioning of preschool children with different temperament types. Emotions were elicited through presentations of video clips before children were asked to perform a series of cognitive tasks. Eliciting positive emotions generated an overall enhancement in children’s cognitive functioning, independent of their temperament. However, specific temperamental characteristics were found to be significantly related to specific cognitive functions. For example, following elicitation of positive emotions, children who were rated high on Attention Shifting performed less well on a “Gestalt Closure” task, whereas performance of children who were rated low on the same subscale was enhanced. Significant differences were found regarding the effect of eliciting emotions on children who rated intermediate as compared with those who rated high or low on several temperamental subscales. These findings are discussed within the contexts of self- and emotion-regulation.