Workman Lance, Chilvers Louise, Yeomans Heather, Taylor Sandie
Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Bath Spa University, Bath, UK.
Laterality. 2006 Nov;11(6):493-507. doi: 10.1080/13576500600724963.
In contrast to research into the development of language laterality, there has been relatively little research into the development of lateralisation of emotional processing. If language lateralisation begins in childhood and is complete by puberty (Lenneberg, 1967) it seems reasonable that the lateralisation of the perception of emotions might also occur during this period. In this study a split field chimeric faces test using the six universal facial expressions proposed by Ekman and Friesen (1971), an emotion in the eyes test, and a situational cartoon test were administered to three groups of children aged 5/6, 7/8, and 10/11. No overall hemispace advantage was seen for the 5/6-year-old group, but by the age of 10/11 a clear left hemispace advantage (right hemisphere) was found for all six emotions. Such a pattern is comparable to a previous study that made use of adults on this task (Workman, Peters, & Taylor, 2000b). Moreover, a significant positive correlation between a child's ability to recognise emotions in cartoon situations and their left hemispatial advantage score was uncovered. Finally, a significant positive correlation between a child's ability to recognise emotions in the eyes of others and their left hemispatial advantage score was also uncovered. These findings are taken as evidence that there may be a relationship between the development of emotional processing in the right hemisphere and a child's emerging ability to perceive or attend to the emotional states of others. Results are discussed in relation to the child's development of a theory of mind.
与对语言偏侧化发展的研究相比，对情绪加工偏侧化发展的研究相对较少。如果语言偏侧化始于童年并在青春期完成（伦内伯格，1967），那么情绪感知的偏侧化也可能在这一时期发生似乎是合理的。在本研究中，对三组5/6岁、7/8岁和10/11岁的儿童进行了裂脑嵌合面孔测试（使用埃克曼和弗里森1971年提出的六种通用面部表情）、眼睛中的情绪测试和情境卡通测试。5/6岁组没有观察到整体的半空间优势，但到10/11岁时，发现所有六种情绪都有明显的左半空间优势（右半球）。这种模式与之前一项针对成年人进行此任务的研究（沃克曼、彼得斯和泰勒，2000b）相当。此外，还发现儿童在卡通情境中识别情绪的能力与其左半空间优势得分之间存在显著的正相关。最后，还发现儿童识别他人眼睛中情绪的能力与其左半空间优势得分之间存在显著的正相关。这些发现被视为证据，表明右半球情绪加工的发展与儿童感知或关注他人情绪状态的新出现的能力之间可能存在关系。结果将结合儿童心理理论的发展进行讨论。
