A Genetic Study Of Embarrassment In Infancy

Embarrassment belongs to the category of self-consciousness emotions. Embarrassmentmaybe the first emerged self-consciousness emotions in infancy. Embarrassment is the acutestate of awkward and flustered when the individual unexpectedly become the focus of others.Based on the comprehensively theoretical and empirical studies，the purpose of the presentstudy is to investigate the occurrence and characteristics of infants，embarrassment.Study1: The occurrence indices of infants’ embarrassment. Through interview of23mothers of18to36months babies and combining with document retrieval, the present studywas intended to investigate the occurrence indices and situations.Study2: A cross-sectional study of the occurrence of infants，embarrassment wasconducted. In order to investigate the occurring time, gender differences of embarrassmentand determine the starting point of the track longitudinal study of embarrassment, across-sectional design was used. The present study was intended to investigate the occurringtime and gender differences of18to30months of age infants’ embarrassment by meanssituational observation method through cross-sectional design.Study3: A longitudinal study of the occurrence of infants，embarrassment was conducted.In order to investigate the occurring time of infants，embarrassment, a longitudinal design wasused. On the basis of the cross-sectional study, the present study was adopted to access8toddlers aged18months to23months. The occurring time of embarrassment were evaluated.Based on the above studies，s results analysis，the present research generally discussed theoccurring time, age and gender characteristics of infants，embarrassment. The mainconclusions were drawn as follow1. The nonverbal behavior expression of infants’ embarrassment includes：smile(smile/control smile), head movements(down/turn left or right), nervous hand gestures(cover face/touch face or hair/touch clothes/tinker hands).When infancy have this threeindices at the same time, we can infer he/she embarrassed.2. The emotion of embarrassment in infancy was caused mainly by self images and bodymovements.3. The emotion of embarrassment occurred and developed19months to23months and itshowed a developmental tendency with the increase of age. The embarrassment caused byexternal images occurred earlier than individual behaviors. It relates to self-recognition of infants. The general occurring time of embarrassment caused by external images was the21thmonth, and the general occurring time of embarrassment caused by individual behaviors wasthe23th month.4. There was no significant gender differences was shown in the occurring process ofembarrassment.