15.10: Emotions and Cognition

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Amanda Taintor

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Relationship Between Emotions and Cognition

Brain research indicates that emotion and cognition are profoundly interrelated processes. Specifically, "recent cognitive neuroscience findings suggest that the neural mechanisms underlying emotion regulation may be the same as those underlying cognitive processes" (Bell & Wolfe, 2004, p. 366). Emotion and cognition work together, jointly informing the child's impressions of situations and influencing behavior. Most learning in the early years occurs in the context of emotional support (National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, 2000). "The rich interpenetrations of emotions and cognitions establish the major psychic scripts for each child's life" (Panksepp, 2001). Together, emotion and cognition contribute to attentional processes, decision making, and learning (Cacioppo & Berntson, 1999).

Cognitive processes like decision making are also affected by emotion (Barrett et al., 2007). The brain structures involved in the neural circuitry of cognition influence emotion and vice versa (Barrett et al., 2007). Emotions and social behaviors affect the young child's ability to persist in goal-oriented activity, seek help when needed, and participate in and benefit from relationships. Young children who exhibit healthy social, emotional, and behavioral adjustment are more likely to have good academic performance in elementary school (Cohen et al., 2005; Zero to Three, 2004). Historically, the sharp distinction between cognition and emotion may be more of an artifact of scholarship than a representation of how these processes occur in the brain (Barrett et al., 2007). Recent research strengthens the view that early childhood programs support later positive learning outcomes in all domains by promoting healthy social-emotional development (National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, 2004; Raver, 2002; Shonkoff, 2004; )[1] .

Infant with tears looking at book — Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Toddler working to concentrate despite the presence of strong emotions. ([2])

[1] California Department of Education (CDE Press). Development Foundations: Social-Emotional Development. Is used with permission

[2] Image by Nina Kuchkovskiy is licensed CC: BY-NC