abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the longitudinal relations of maternal behaviors, children`s temperamental negative emotionality, and children`s emotion perception processes, including emotion perception accuracy (EPA) and emotion perception bias (EPB), to children`s conduct disorder symptoms in a normative sample. Separate structural equation models were conducted to assess whether parenting or children`s proneness to negative emotions at 24-30 (T2), 36-42 (T3) and 48-54 (T4) months predicted children`s EPA and EPB over time, and whether T3 and T4 children`s emotion perception processes were predictive of children`s conduct disorder at 72 months of age (T5). None of the hypothesized longitudinal relations was supported; however, other noteworthy results were observed. T3 children`s proneness to negative emotions was positively related to children`s concurrent bias toward anger. The latent constructs of negative parenting, children`s proneness to negative emotions, and the observed measure of children`s emotion perception accuracy showed stability over time, whereas the observed measures of children`s bias toward understanding distinct negative emotions were unrelated across time. In addition, children`s expressive language was predicted by children`s earlier emotion perception accuracy, which emphasized the importance of improving children`s emotion understanding skills during early years. Furthermore, the previously established negative relation between EPA and EPB variables was only partially supported. Findings regarding the relations between parenting, children`s negative emotionality and emotion perception processes are discussed from a developmental perspective. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Family and Human Development 2011

The purpose of this study was to investigate the personality characteristics associated with accuracy in person perception. The particular personality variables chosen (experience, intelligence, cognitive complexity, psychological mindedness, emotional stability, introversion, and empathic style) for investigation were those previously identified by Gordon Allport as being related to person perception. Both types of person perception (sensitivity to individual differences and sensitivity to group differences) were measured. The major findings of the study were the following: 1. The most capable judges of individual differences, in comparison with the least capable judges, were significantly more likely to have the following psychometric characteristics: higher IQ, more extraverted, more psychologically minded, more cognitively complex/flexible, and more empathic. Experientially, the most competent judges were likely to be older, older in age at first job, and have fewer siblings. In contrast to the least able judges, the most competent ones had resided in more different cities, traveled more, experienced more formal education, and were more likely employed in the helping professions. 2. The best judges of group differences, in comparison with the worst judges, were more likely female, older in age at first job, and higher scorers on Neuroticism. 3. Significant multiple linear regression equations were formed between the predictor variables and the two judgment tasks, suggesting that accuracy in judging others consists of many skills, not just one. 4. Those who were in the helping professions were better judges than those not in the helping professions on sensitivity to individual differences, but not sensitivity to group differences. 5. For those in the helping professions, years of experience in the helping professions were not related to success on either of the two judgment tasks.

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