What Am I Feeling? Using Television to Effectively Teach Emotion Knowledge to Preschoolers

Cameron Caswell

Advisor: Susanne Denham

Committee Members: Elyse Lehman, Cindy Lont

The Hub, Ballroom
April 20, 2009, 08:00 PM to 07:00 PM

Abstract:

This study examined the effectiveness of using television to teach preschoolers about emotions. Fifty-six three- and four-year-old children (30 boys and 26 girls) participated, all from preschools and daycare programs in Fairfax County and Loudoun County, Virginia.  Children’s emotion knowledge was assessed using three measures, which presented emotions at a varying degree of complexity. The children were tested one week prior to the intervention, the What Am I Feeling? show, and one week after.
Results show that watching the intervention had a positive effect on boys, whose scores improved after watching it. This same effect was not found for girls.  Scores for identifying fear improved significantly more than scores for the other emotions after viewing the intervention. This was true for both girls and boys. The implications of using television to teach emotional knowledge to children are discussed.