Despite many positive outcomes associated with emotion coaching, factors related to individual differences in emotion coaching have yet to be explored. The current study examined cultural differences in the role of maternal characteristics, specifically emotional awareness and emotion regulation, as determinants of emotion coaching. These findings will facilitate culturally desired emotion socialization practices leading to optimal emotional development of children. In the current study, I translated two English-based questionnaires into Chinese to assess maternal emotional awareness and emotion coaching. Next, I examined relations of reappraisal, suppression, and emotional awareness to maternal emotion coaching. I also investigated the role of maternal emotional awareness as a mediator in the relation of maternal use of reappraisal and suppression to maternal emotion coaching in both Chinese and American cultures. Participants included American (n=164) and 163 Chinese (n=163) mothers. Maternal emotional awareness was measured using subscales of Toronto Alexithymia Scale 20 and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. Emotion regulation strategies were assessed using Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. To measure emotion coaching, mothers completed Parents' Beliefs about Children's Emotions questionnaire. Structural equation models were estimated to examine how maternal emotional awareness and emotion regulation related to emotion coaching. Results confirmed the reliability and validity of the Chinese questionnaires. Maternal emotion coaching did not include mothers' views about negative emotions because equivalence could not be established across Chinese and American cultures; therefore, the emotion coaching discussed in this study is different from previous research on emotion coaching that typically involves responses to negative emotions. Maternal emotional awareness was associated with their emotion coaching in both samples and the strength of the association was not different across cultures. However, relations of reappraisal and suppression to emotional awareness and emotion coaching were different across Chinese and American samples. Emotional awareness mediated the relation of reappraisal to emotion coaching only in the American sample. Additionally, emotional awareness was a mediator of the relation of suppression to emotion coaching in both samples. Overall, the findings of this study supported that maternal emotional awareness and use of emotion regulation strategies are important determinants of maternal emotion coaching in both cultures. / Ph. D.

Emotional awareness is a basic skill underlying emotional intelligence and forms a critical part of the holistic development of children. This skill is described as a person?s capacity to be in contact with his/her emotions and to effectively express emotions. Emotional awareness can enhance the social skills, academic performance, interpersonal relationships, and positive behaviours of children in middle childhood. Middle childhood is the life stage when children enter the formal school system. The school system primarily emphasises the academic performance of children. However, children also need psychosocial skills in order to adapt to the demands of school and effectively function within the school system. Emotional awareness can thus benefit children within the school environment. Emotional awareness is regarded as a cognitive skill that can be taught to children, for example by means of an emotional awareness programme. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an emotional awareness programme that was developed for children in middle childhood within the school context. For this purpose, the programme was presented to a sample of 55 children in middle childhood in a public school in the Free State Province. A quantitative research approach, based on a quasi-experimental comparison group pre-test post-test research design, was followed. Data was collected and analysed by means of a standardised measuring instrument, the Levels of Emotional Awareness Scale for Children (LEAS-C). The research findings indicate that the respondents that attended the emotional awareness programme, showed enhanced levels of emotional awareness. Thus, it could be stated that the emotional awareness of children in middle childhood can be enhanced through their exposure to an emotional awareness programme. Based on the research results, it is recommended that public schools in South Africa consider the implementation of similar programmes in the school environment. It is further recommended comparative studies are conducted in other public and private schools in South Africa. / Emosionele bewustheid is n vaardigheid onderliggend aan emosionele intelligensie en vorm n kritiese deel van die holistiese ontwikkeling van kinders. Emosionele bewustheid word beskryf as n persoon se vermoë om in kontak met sy/haar emosies te wees en emosies effektief uit te druk, en kan kinders se sosiale vaardighede, akademiese prestasie, interpersoonlike verhoudings en positiewe gedrag bevorder. Die middekinderjare is die lewensfase waarin kinders die formele skoolsisteem betree. In die skoolsisteem word daar hoofsaaklik klem gelê op kinders se akademiese prestasie. Suksesvolle aanpassing en funksionering in die skool vereis egter ook dat kinders oor genoegsame psigososiale vaardighede beskik om by die eise van die skoolomgewing aan te pas. Emosionele bewustheid kan dus voordele vir kinders in die skoolomgewing inhou. Emosionele bewustheid word beskou as n kognitiewe vaardigheid wat aan kinders geleer kan word, byvoorbeeld deur middel van n emosionele bewustheidsprogram. Die doel van hierdie studie was om die effektiwiteit van n emosionele bewustheidsprogram wat vir kinders in die middelkinderjare in die skoolomgewing ontwerp is, te evalueer. Vir hierdie doel is die betrokke program oor n tydperk van twee maande aan n steekproef van 55 leerders in n openbare skool in die Vrystaat aangebied. n Kwantitatiewe kwasi-eksperimentele navorsingsbenadering, gebaseer op n vergelykende groep voortoets natoets navorsingsontwerp, is gevolg en data is ingesamel en geanaliseer deur gebruik te maak van n gestandardiseerde meetinstrument, die Vlakke van Emosionele Bewustheidskaal vir Kinders (LEAS-C). Die navorsingsbevindinge dui daarop dat die respondente wat aan die emosionele bewustheidsprogram deelgeneem het, verhoogde vlakke van emosionele bewustheid getoon het. Derhalwe kan dit gestel word dat die emosionele bewustheid van kinders in die middekinderjare verhoog kan word deur hul blootstelling aan n emosionele bewustheidsprogram. Op grond van die navorsingsresultate word daar aanbeveel dat openbare skole in Suid-Afrika die moontlikheid oorweeg om soortgelyke programme in die skoolomgewing aan te bied. Daar word voorts aanbeveel dat vergelykende navorsingstudies in ander openbare- en privaatskole in Suid-Afrika herhaal word. / Mini Dissertation (MSW)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Social Work and Criminology / MSW / Unrestricted

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The focus of this research study is on establishing emotional awareness in the child in her middle childhood that finds herself in a children's home. Emphasis is placed on the effect that structured Gestalt group therapy has on the development of emotional awareness in the child in a children's home and how it can be utilized to positively support the process of emotional awareness. The main aim of the study is to investigate, evaluate and describe the impact of structured gestalt group therapy on the emotional awareness of the child in a children's home, for play therapists to use within this context. / SOCIAL WORK / MDIAC (PLAY THERAPY)

High prevalence rates exist for physical (i.e., threatened or actual physical force) and relational (i.e., actions meant to harm another’s social relationships) aggression within early adolescence, and these behaviors lead to detrimental social, physical, and mental health outcomes. Thus, there is a need to identify risk and protective processes related to these subtypes of aggression, especially those that can inform violence prevention efforts. Prior studies including early adolescents have shown emotion dysregulation to be a risk factor for aggression. However, few studies have incorporated the emotional competence process of poor emotional awareness, which may be a risk factor for emotion dysregulation and, in turn, for aggression. Furthermore, little research has assessed relations between subtypes of emotion dysregulation (i.e., anger and sadness) and physical and relational aggression. The current study examined longitudinal relations between poor emotional awareness and these subtypes of emotion dysregulation and aggression, as well as concurrent pathways between the emotion dysregulation and aggression variables. Exploratory tests for gender differences were also conducted. Rating scales were collected from 528 sixth graders (51% girls, 49% boys; missing data n = 8) and their teachers over a six month period in the fall and spring of the school year. Across the full sample, 65% of students identified as African-American, 19% European-American, 2%, Hispanic Latino, 11% Multiracial, and 3% as “Other”(missing data n = 8). Results indicated no significant differences by gender in the strength of relations between study variables. Poor emotional awareness was not directly related to changes in subsequent frequency of physical or relational aggression. However, poor emotional awareness at Time 1 was associated with later rates of anger and sadness dysregulation. Furthermore, an indirect effect was found for poor emotional awareness on both physical and relational aggression via anger dysregulation, and this was true for student- and teacher-rated outcomes. Sadness dysregulation showed a negative concurrent association with teacher-rated physical aggression; and there was an indirect effect of poor emotional awareness on teacher-rated physical aggression via sadness dysregulation. Study findings have important implications for theoretical treatises, youth violence prevention programs, and future directions for research, which are all discussed.

This research aims to understand, describe and analyze the hidden dimensions of leadership that can nourish leader-follower relationships. Additionally, by analyzing empirical illustrations combined with the theories presented in the literature, we have developed a framework for leading smoothly, which can provide insights into the leadership activities that leaders and executives can benefit from. Our findings on leading smoothly emerged during our analysis and interpretation of two case studies and our literature review, and led us to concentrate on emotional and communicational dimensions of leadership. Concerning crisis and turbulent times as one of the most challenging situations for performing leadership activities, we present two case studies related to leadership approaches during crises. One of the case studies is about the leadership of BP‟s former CEO Tony Hayward during the oil spill crisis in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, and the second case is about the leadership of the former CEO of Johnson & Johnson during the Tylenol crisis in 1982. While analyzing the cases, the emotional and communicational approaches of leaders are examined. Furthermore, these case studies facilitate the identification of the aspects that smooth leadership activities and their impacts on the leader follower relationships. Consequently, the study discusses the emotional and communicational dimensions of leadership and presents the framework for leading smoothly as a different perspective for embellishing the interaction between the leader and the follower, which can provide an understanding of the subtle ways of leading.

The present study examines the relationship of emotional awareness to anticipatory psychophysiological markers and performance on the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). The IGT is a computerized card game that simulates real-life decisions through uncertainty of reward or punishment. The participant’s goal is to make advantageous card choices. Anticipatory somatic markers of physiological arousal, like electrodermal activity and heart rate, have been proposed to bias decisions in the IGT. The central hypothesis is that a participant’s emotional awareness is related to their ability to make advantageous decisions through biasing psychophysiological responses. The Toronto Alexithymia Scale was used to assess each participant’s emotional awareness. Less emotional awareness was associated with enhanced performance on the IGT. However, anticipatory physiological arousal (electrodermal activity and heart rate) and emotional awareness yielded no significant relationships. Findings suggest a need for further research on cognitive models, such as the expectancy valence model, in relation to decision-making.

The focus of this research study is on establishing emotional awareness in the child in her middle childhood that finds herself in a children's home. Emphasis is placed on the effect that structured Gestalt group therapy has on the development of emotional awareness in the child in a children's home and how it can be utilized to positively support the process of emotional awareness. The main aim of the study is to investigate, evaluate and describe the impact of structured gestalt group therapy on the emotional awareness of the child in a children's home, for play therapists to use within this context. / SOCIAL WORK / MDIAC (PLAY THERAPY)

Emotionale Bewusstheit (emotional awareness) beinhaltet die Fähigkeit, die eigenen Emotionen und die der Anderen erkennen als auch benennen zu können. Weiterhin gilt sie als psychische Gesundheit fördernder Faktor. Lane und Schwartz beschrieben emotionale Bewusstheit als kognitiven Entwicklungsprozess und stellten zur Messung die Levels of Emotional Awareness Scale (LEAS), ein Performanz-basiertes Testverfahren, bereit. Ein Selbstbeurteilungstest ist der Emotionale-Kompetenz-Fragebogen (EKF). Ein wichtiges Thema ist die Vernetzung impliziter und expliziter Prozesse bei der Entwicklung emotionaler Bewusstheit. Vorhergehende Studien fokussierten auf die Zusammenhänge zwischen emotionaler Bewusstheit und der expliziten Verarbeitung emotionaler Stimuli. Es ist nur wenig über die Zusammenhänge zwischen emotionaler Bewusstheit und impliziten Emotionsverarbeitungsprozessen bekannt. Zudem waren die bisherigen Studien zum Themengebiet hauptsächlich defizitorientiert, untersuchten Beziehungen zwischen Alexithymie und automatischer Emotionsverarbeitung. Ziel dieser Arbeit war die Untersuchung des Zusammenhangs zwischen emotionaler Bewusstheit und der automatischen Verarbeitung von mimischen und sprachlichen emotionalen Reizen. Gegenstand der Betrachtung war zudem der Zusammenhang zwischen emotionaler Bewusstheit (LEAS) und selbstberichteten emotionalen Fähigkeiten (EKF). Anhand von zwei Priming-Experimenten (Wortpriming mit Fokus auf Reaktionszeiten sowie Gesichtspriming mit Fokus auf evaluative Urteile) sollten die Beziehungen zwischen emotionaler Bewusstheit und automatischer Emotionsverarbeitung spezifiziert werden. Es wurden in beiden Priming-Aufgaben in der Gesamtstichprobe signifikante Priming-Effekte beobachtet. Die Daten der Wortbeurteilungsaufgabe indizieren keine signifikanten Korrelationen zwischen emotionaler Bewusstheit und lexikalem affektivem Priming. In der Gesichtsbeurteilungsaufgabe fanden sich Korrelationen zwischen emotionaler Bewusstheit und Priming durch wütende Gesichter. Die Daten dieser Arbeit können zum besseren Verständnis von emotionaler Bewusstheit beitragen, indem sie einige Verbindungen zu grundlegenden Prozessen der Emotionswahrnehmung aufdecken.

The motivation of this work focused on inspiring the understanding of emotions and the ability to name them precisely to improve self-awareness and well-being. Through an online survey, competitor analysis, customer journey map, and interviews it was clear that the chosen target group of young people do not feel fully confident in understanding their emotions and lacked emotional vocabulary. With these results in mind, several concepts were developed. Due to users’ needs the mobile application was chosen as a platform to create an experience to learn emotional vocabulary. As a result, the interactive prototype was created to transform the learning experience into an engaging application to learn emotions definitions, connections, and their application to everyday life. The interactive prototype was tested on potential users and the results were positive. This in turn might be a first step in forming strategies to improve understanding of emotional vocabulary. / <p>Examensarbetet är utfört vid Institutionen för teknik och naturvetenskap (ITN) vid Tekniska fakulteten, Linköpings universitet</p>