2至6歲兒童情緒理解的發展及其與語言和行為問題的關聯性

研究目的：情緒理解為理解情緒本質、前因和後果的能力，可幫助個體標記、辨認、預測、解釋以及調節情緒經驗。國外已有多項研究探討兒童的情緒理解能力，但台灣的相關研究較有限。因此，本研究旨在探討台灣2至6歲兒童情緒理解能力的發展以及其與語言和行為問題之間的關聯。研究方法：本研究納入79位智力高於70的受試者，並依年齡分四組，即3歲、4歲、5歲及6歲組。個別施測情緒理解及後設認知作業-修訂版和魏氏幼兒智力量表第四版-中文版中的聽詞指圖及看圖命名分測驗，分別量測兒童的情緒理解能力和語言能力。家長則填寫兒童行為檢核表以量測兒童的行為問題。研究結果：以年齡組為獨變項，兒童情緒理解能力為依變項，進行單因子變異數分析。結果顯示主要年齡效果。兒童情緒理解能力及語言能力在控制了年齡後進行皮爾森相關，發現兒童情緒理解能力與詞彙理解、詞彙表達和詞彙學習呈顯著正相關。接著再以年齡為控制變項，針對兒童情緒理解能力及行為問題進行皮爾森相關，發現兒童情緒理解能力與整體行為問題和內化問題呈顯著正相關，而與外化問題呈顯著負相關。結論：兒童的情緒理解能力在2至6歲間有顯著的發展，且與語言和行為問題有顯著關聯。

Introduction: Emotion understanding is the ability to comprehend the nature, antecedents, and consequences of emotions. This ability helps label, identify, predict, explain, and regulate emotional experiences. Emotion understanding has been extensively researched overseas, but studies in Taiwan have been limited. Therefore, this study aims to examine the development of emotion understanding in Taiwanese children aged between 2 and 6 years and its association with language and behavioral problems. Methods: Seventy-nine participants with an intelligence quotient >70 were included and divided into four groups according to their age, particularly 3 years, 4 years, 5 years, and 6 years groups. Modification of the Emotion Comprehension and Metacognition Test (MECMT), and the Receptive Vocabulary and Picture Naming tests from the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Fourth Edition-Mandarin Version (WPPSI-IV-Mandarin) were individually administered to measure participants’ emotion understanding and language, respectively. Parents rated the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) to assess participants’ behavioral problems. Results: One-way ANOVAs with age groups as the independent variable and emotion understanding as the dependent variables were conducted. A significant age group effect was found. Pearson correlation coefficient test between emotion understanding and language, controlling for age, was performed. Significant positive associations were found between emotion understanding and vocabulary comprehension, vocabulary production, and vocabulary acquisition. The Pearson correlation coefficient test between emotion understanding and behavioral problems, controlling for age, revealed significant positive correlations between emotion understanding and general behavioral problems, as well as internalizing problems. In contrast, a negative correlation was found between emotion understanding and externalizing problems. Conclusion: Children’s emotion understanding undergoes significant development between 2 to 6 years old. Emotion understanding during this developmental phase correlates with language and behavioral problems.