Free Labeling of Graphic Symbols of Four Basic Emotions with Four Years Old Typically Developing Children
Wenjing Zheng, Erna Alant &Laura Murray
Abstract
Identifying and understanding emotions play a critical role in children’s social skills and emotional wellness. Few studies explored children’s ability to recognize basic emotions using graphic symbols. Graphic symbols were important materials in children’s learning and communication. The current study examined four-year-old typically developing children’s ability to label the emotions depicted by graphic symbols freely. Results showed that the participants could accurately label all four graphic symbols for happiness, and they had the most difficulty naming the graphic symbols for fear. The most representable graphic symbols for each emotion and their features were discussed.