Affiliation:
1. School of Human Sciences Senshu University Kawasaki Japan
2. Center for Development of Advanced Medical Technology Jichi Medical University Tochigi Japan
3. Global Research Institute Keio University Tokyo Japan
4. Faculty of Sociology Toyo University Tokyo Japan
5. Department of Pediatrics Jichi Medical University Tochigi Japan
6. Department of Cognitive and Psychological Sciences, Graduate School of Informatics Nagoya University Nagoya Japan
Abstract
AbstractAlthough research has shed light on the development of emotion comprehension in typically developing children, little is known about emotion comprehension in children who are developing atypically. Thus, this study examined the developmental trajectory of emotion understanding in non‐clinical (NC) children and children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Williams syndrome (WS) using a Test of Emotion Comprehension. In the test, we measured children's understanding of (I) recognition of emotions based on facial expressions, (II) external causes of emotions, (III) desire‐based emotions, (IV) belief‐based emotions, (V) the influence of a reminder on a present emotional state, (VI) regulating an experienced emotion, (VII) hiding an emotional state, (VIII) mixed emotions, and (IX) moral emotions. A Bayesian modeling approach was applied to compare the developmental trajectories of emotion understanding across the syndrome groups. The results revealed that NC children and children with WS followed significantly different developmental trajectories in specific aspects of emotion understanding, while children with ASD followed a very similar path to NC children. Children with ASD and NC children gradually developed an understanding of each component of emotion comprehension as they matured. However, the understanding of some components, such as desire‐based emotions, hiding an emotional state, and moral emotions, in children with WS was affected by their Autism Spectrum Quotient scores. This is one of the first cross‐syndrome studies to assess the development of emotion comprehension in children with ASD and WS, providing important insights for understanding the nature of disability and advancing the development of intervention programs.
Funder
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
Subject
Genetics (clinical),Neurology (clinical),General Neuroscience