TODDLERS’ USE OF GESTURE AND SPEECH IN SERVICE OF EMOTION REGULATION DURING DISTRESSING ROUTINES

• Published in: Infant mental health journal 2018-11, Vol.39 (6), p.730-750
• Main Authors: Konishi, Haruka, Karsten, Ashley, Vallotton, Claire D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Behavior Observation Techniques - methods; Child Care - methods; Child Care - psychology; Child psychology; Child, Preschool; Children & youth; Communication; emotion regulation; Emotions; Emotionsregulation; Female; geste; Gesten; gestos; gesture; Gestures; Humans; Infant; Kleinkinder; Male; niños pequeñitos; Nonverbal Communication - psychology; petits enfants; Preschool children; regulación de la emoción; Régulation de l’émotion; Self-Control - psychology; Speech; Toddlers; Verbal communication; تنظيم العاطفة ، الإشارات ، الأطفال الصغار; 幼児; 幼兒; 情緒調節; 感情統制; 手勢; 身振り
• ISSN: 0163-9641; 1097-0355
• DOI: 10.1002/imhj.21740

ABSTRACT Research on the intersections of young children's emerging communication skills and emotion regulation has increased, following recognition of the link between these skills as they emerge in toddlerhood and the long‐term impact of these skills on academic success. However, little is known about how toddlers use gesture and emerging language for emotion regulation. The current study describes toddlers’ use of both words and gestures in naturally occurring distressing routines in childcare (diaper change, separation from parents). Seventeen toddlers between 11 and 28 months old were observed over the course of 3½ months in a childcare setting where symbolic gestures (“infant signs”) were used as part of daily routines. Results show that toddlers communicated more frequently using gestures than speech, and used a greater range of self‐regulatory strategies through gesture than through speech. Moreover, older, verbal toddlers continued to use gestures during heightened distress when they could not find their words. Findings suggest that toddlers use symbolic communication to implement complex and diverse emotion regulation strategies during distressing daily routines, and that gestures provide children with opportunities to employ more diverse emotion regulation strategies than does speech alone, which may ultimately enhance children's abilities to regulate their emotions. RESUMEN La investigación sobre las intersecciones de las nacientes habilidades comunicativas de los niños pequeños y la regulación de la emoción ha aumentado, siguiendo el reconocimiento de la conexión entre estas habilidades a medida que aparecen en la primera etapa de la niñez, y el impacto a largo plazo de estas habilidades en el éxito académico. Sin embargo, poco se sabe acerca de cómo los niños pequeñitos usan los gestos y el naciente lenguaje para regular la emoción. El presente estudio describe el uso que hacen los niños pequeñitos tanto de palabras como de gestos en rutinas angustiosas que ocurren naturalmente durante la prestación de cuidado al niño (cambio de pañales, separación de los padres). Diecisiete niños pequeñitos entre 11 y 28 meses de edad fueron observados durante el curso de tres meses y medio en un ambiente de cuidado infantil donde los gestos simbólicos (“señales del infante”) se usaron como parte de las rutinas diarias. Los resultados muestran que los niños pequeñitos se comunicaron con más frecuencia usando gestos que lenguaje, y usaron una gama más amplia