The wolf was only feeling hungry: emotional understanding and embodied cognition through dramatic play

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe aim of this study is to explore how children bring together motor processes, language and perception when embodying emotional states (Condition 1) versus factual events (Condition 2) through the story characters of ‘Little Red Riding Hood’. Children aged 3–4 years (N = 33) were observed while enacting each story-character through adult-initiated sessions. Findings showed that when children embodied the characters with emotional implications, they spent more time, they indicated higher frequencies of motor skills (criteria adapted from Castañer et al. [2009. “Identifying and Analyzing Motor Skill Responses in Body Movement and Dance.” Behavior Research Methods 41 (3): 857–867]) and they were more likely to use emotions in their discussions. Such findings have implications for practice.