New Directions in the Study of Human Emotional Development
Research on infants' and children's emotions blossomed between the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st century. This surge established that a full understanding of human development requires more than understanding physical growth, achievements in thinking, and becoming a social person; it also requires understanding how we feel, how we understand and communicate our feelings and those of others, and how emotion penetrates so many aspects of human development.
Why? Emotions are the way we evaluate the significance of circumstances for our goals and prepare to act to maintain or regain them.
While the study of emotional development has increasingly captured the attention of many researchers, our understanding of emotional development is still undergoing change.