Development of Self-Conscious Emotion

It refers to the emotional development of an individual through self-reflection on the basis of certain self-evaluation. Self-conscious emotions, including embarrassment, shame, jealousy, pride, and guilt, appear between 18 and 24 months of age, when babies have realized that they are separate and unique individuals. They will feel embarrassed or guilty, droop their heads, and cover their faces with their hands after doing something they know they should not do. They feel proud when they complete a challenging task for the first time. Jealousy occurs when a baby is approaching the age of 3.

By the age of 3, there is a clear link between children’s self-conscious emotion and self-evaluation, but children’s standards on good or bad behavior are still develo**, and they rely on adult information to determine when to feel proud, ashamed, or guilty. If parents give their children feedback on the value of their performance, children will experience stronger self-conscious emotions: more...