Emotion Diaries Research Articles

Evolution of self-reporting methods for identifying discrete emotions in science classrooms

Emotion researchers have grappled with challenging methodological issues in capturing emotions of participants in naturalistic settings such as school or university classrooms. Self-reporting methods have been used frequently, yet these methods are inadequate when used alone. We argue that the self-reporting methods of emotion diaries and cogenerative dialogues can be helpful in identifying in-the-moment emotions when used in conjunction with the microanalysis of video recordings of classroom events. We trace the evolution of our use of innovative self-reporting methods through three cases from our research projects, and propose new directions for our ongoing development and application of these methods in both school and university classrooms.

Communications to Self and Others: Emotional Experience and its Skills

According to the Communicative Theory of Emotions, we experience emotions when events occur that are important for our goals and plans. A method of choice for studying these matters is the emotion diary. Emotions configure our cognitive systems and our relationships. Many of our emotions concern our relationships, and empathy is central to our experience of them. We do not always recognize our emotions or the emotions of others, but literary fiction can help improve our skills of recognition and understanding.

The emotional characteristics of teaching: an ethnographic study of one teacher

This article seeks to explore the emotional characteristics of teaching through an ethnographic study. An elementary school teacher participated in a 3-year research project investigating the role of emotions in her teaching, her relationships with the students, and the political context of the school. The data sources were field observations, in-depth interviews, an “emotion diary”, and a collection of teaching documents (e.g., lesson plans, philosophy statements, etc.). From these data, three assertions were developed and evidence was provided for three major roles of emotions: evaluative, relational, and political. The findings revealed the emotional complexities, tensions, and challenges that are associated with teaching. The politics and power relations within a school influence the values, discourses, and beliefs this teacher holds and thus the experiences and emotions she reports. These findings are discussed in terms of their contribution to existing research on teacher emotions.

Shame and non‐disclosure: A study of the emotional isolation of people referred for psychotherapy

Thirty-four people referred to an NHS psychotherapy department were given a modified form of Oatley and Duncan's (1992) emotion diary which included questions about whether each recorded emotion had been subsequently disclosed to anyone (for example a partner, friend or professional). One week later the diaries were collected and participants interviewed. Interviews focused, among other things, on reasons for nondisclosure of recorded emotional experiences and the relationship between shame and non-disclosure. The results indicated that a majority of the emotional incidents recorded in the diaries were not disclosed (68%). This result contrasts with studies on non-clinical samples in which only approximately 10% of everyday emotions are kept secret. Qualitative analysis of the interview data revealed that participants appeared to be habitual non-disclosers of emotional and personal experiences and that non-disclosure was related to the anticipation of negative interpersonal responses to disclosure (in particular labelling and judging responses) in addition to more self-critical factors including shame. It is suggested that these results add to the existing literature on shame by illustrating the interpersonal effects of shame in a clinical sample.