| Background:The period of child and adolescent is a rapid development stage of individual’s physical and psychological. With the advent of the secondary sex characteristic, child and adolescent’s physical change sharply, but their mental development lag relatively. The imbalance between physical and mental development of children and adolescents cause them faced with huge of physical, psychological and social challenges. Most of children and adolescents can handle the pressure and challenges very well, but some of them have mental health problems. The emotional disorders in psychological problems among children and adolescents are prominent. Laboratory researches can explore the mechanism of emotional problems among children and adolescents, and can provide a reliable basis for prevention and treatment of emotional problems. Experimental study on emotion is dependents on the stimulus materials which can arouse various emotional responses among children and adolescents, so the reliability and stability of the material play an important role on the results of the study. At present, several researchers have established the affective picture material for children and adolescents. But these emotional stimulus materials have some shortages, such as the types of the pictures are insufficient, and the number of the pictures is poor, and the number of pictures that distributed in various score blocks in the dimensions is also inadequate.It is necessary to establish a standardized picture evaluation system for children and adolescents.Objective:To collect the assessment data of the three dimensions of emotional pictures been evaluated by children and adolescents, and to establish the children and adolescents’ affective picture system to further the experimental study on emotion of children and adolescents. Methods:284Chinese children and adolescents were selected to participate in this study, aged7-18years, come from3primary and secondary schools in Chongqing.824pictures of Chinese Affective Picture System (CAPS) have been chosen as experimental stimuli in this study. Participants were asked to assess these pictures at three dimensionalities (valence, arousal and dominance) by a9-point self-report scale. Descriptive statistics analysis, correlation analysis, cluster analysis and variance analysis were adopted to analyze the reliability and validity of this picture system. And children and adolescents’emotional experience were also analyzed by age and gender.Results:(1) The Cronbach alpha coefficient were all above0.90on three dimensions, besides it was0.74on arousal of aged7-8. The assessed scores of5age groups were widely distributed on the three dimensions of valence, arousal and dominance, and the ranges of the scores were all large.(2) The assessed scores on the three dimensions of5age groups were positive correlation significantly with the original assessed scores of the CAPS, but the differences were still significantly. The assessed scores on valence of aged9-11, aged12-13, aged14-15, aged16-18were significant lower than the original assessed scores of the CAPS. The assessed scores on arousal of aged7-8, aged9-11and aged12-13were significant higher than the original assessed scores of the CAPS, but the scores of aged14-15and aged16-18were significant lower than the scores of the CAPS. The assessed scores in dominance of aged9-11and aged12-13were significant lower than the original assessed scores of the CAPS.(3) The relationship among the three dimensions was that when the scores were low in valence, the scores were high in arousal and the scores were low in dominance; when the scores were medium in valence, the scores were medium in arousal and dominance; when the scores were high in valence, the scores were high in arousal and dominance.(4) According to the scores in valence, all of the pictures can be clustered as three categories: positive, neutral and negative. According to the scores in three dimensions, all of the pictures can be clustered as six categories:surprise, joy, neutral, anger, disgust (sadness) and fear.(5) There were significant gender differences on the three dimensions. For the positive pictures, the scores on the valence and dominance were significant higher among boys than among girls in7-8years old group. The scores on the arousal were significant higher among boys than among girls in9-11years old group. The scores on the arousal and dominance were significant lower among boys than among girls in12-13years old group. The scores on the valence were significant lower among boys than among girls while the scores on the arousal were significant higher among boys than among girls in14-15years old group. The scores on the valence and dominance were significant lower among boys than among girls while the scores on the arousal were significant higher among boys than among girls in16-18years old group. For the neutral pictures, the scores on the valence and dominance were significant higher among boys than among girls while the scores on the arousal were significant lower among boys than among girls in7-8years old group. The scores on the three dimensions were significant higher among boys than among girls in9-11years old group. The scores on the valence were significant higher among boys than among girls while the scores on the arousal were significant lower in12-13years old group. The scores on the valence and dominance were significant higher among boys than among girls in14-15years old group. The scores on the valence and arousal were significant higher among boys than among girls while the scores on the dominance were significant lower among boys than among girls in16-18years old group. For the negative pictures, the scores on the three dimensions were significant higher among boys than among girls in7～8years old group. The scores on the valence were significant higher among boys than among girls while the scores on the arousal were significant lower among boys than among girls in9～11years old group. The scores on the valence and dominance were significant higher among boys than among girls while the scores on the arousal were significant lower among boys than among girls in12～13years old group. The scores on the valence and dominance were significant higher among boys than among girls in14～15years old group. The scores on the valence and dominance were significant higher among boys than among girls in16～18years old group.(6) There were significant age differences on the three dimensions. On the valence, the scores in7～8years old group were significant higher than the scores in9～11years old group,12～13years old group,14～15years old group and16～18years old group. The scores in12～13years old group were significant lower than the scores in16～18years old group. On the arousal, the scores in7～8years old group were significant higher than the scores in9～11years old group,12～13years old group,14～15years old group and16～18years old group. The scores in9～11years old group were significant higher than the scores in12～13years old group,14～15years old group and16～18years old group. The scores in12～13years old group were significant higher than the scores in14～15years old group and16～18years old group. The scores in14～15years old group were significant higher than the scores in16～18years old group. On the dominance, the scores in7～8years old group were significant higher than the scores in9～11years old group and12～13years old group. The scores in9～11years old group were significant lower than the scores in14～15years old group and16～18years old group. The scores in12～13years old group were significant lower than the scores in14～15years old group and16～18years old group.Conclusion:This study established the picture evaluation system for children and adolescents. The evaluation system has good reliability and validity, and can provide stimulus materials for experimental study on emotion of children and adolescents. Children and adolescents’ emotion is characterized by instability. There were significant differences between children and adolescents’ emotion and adult’s emotion. In future research on emotion, we should take more attention to the characteristics of children and adolescents’ emotion. There were significant gender and age differences on children and adolescents’ emotional perceptive, which should to be considered in future study. |
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