Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Psychology

Program Name/Specialization

Developmental Psychology

Faculty/School

Faculty of Science

First Advisor

Danielle Law

Advisor Role

Supervisor

Abstract

How we recognize and regulate emotions is fundamental to overall health and wellbeing. Emotional recognition and understanding are key to proper communication and emotion regulation. Barriers, such as masks, might have an impact on the way children recognize and interpret others' emotions, and therefore the way they learn, communicate, and regulate their own. The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated widespread mask-wearing, raising questions about its impact on children’s emotional development. Using a sample of children with varying levels of exposure to mask wearing adults (N= 13, ages 4 to 6), we investigated how prolonged mask wearing predicts emotion recognition, particularly for masked and unmasked faces, and emotion regulation skills of children. Children were given a series of short vignettes and asked to match masked and unmasked facial expressions of emotions that portray the emotion described in the vignette. The Transparent Box Task was used to observe children’s ability to regulate their emotions during a frustrating situation. Caregivers responded to a set of surveys to confirm mask exposure during mask mandates (2020/2021), as well as their child’s emotion regulation skills. Correlation analyses were run to explore associations between mask exposure, emotion recognition, and emotion regulation. Independent Samples T-Tests were used to investigate biological sex differences. Despite the small sample size, several trends emerged that, while mostly not statistically significant, still offer important insights. Older children, who had higher mask exposure, showed poorer emotion recognition. Biological sex differences were noted in emotion regulation, with males displaying higher levels of lability/negativity. Increased mask exposure was found to be associated with a diminished ability to recognize emotions on masked, unmasked, and angry faces. These findings support our hypotheses and highlight the need for targeted educational and psychological interventions, especially in contexts where mask wearing is prevalent.

Convocation Year

2025

Convocation Season

Spring

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