How we work
More words for what you feel
In shortHaving more words for feelings helps people cope, because words help the brain make sense of what it feels.
The idea
People who tell apart what they feel in more detail (for example ‘frustrated’, ‘disappointed’, ‘impatient’ rather than just ‘bad’) tend to cope better with difficult situations. Words are not labels placed on top: they are part of how the brain makes sense of what is going on. The more concepts a child has, the more options they have to interpret and to act.
What to try
- Link each new word to a specific situation the child lived through.
- Ask ‘was it more like what?’ and offer two or three options.
- Read stories and stop to ask what the character might feel in their body.
The common mistake
Teaching four colours or four emotions and expecting that to cover everything.
Want to know more?
Start here
Short, plain pieces by the researchers and good writers.
Books
The core book on the theory of constructed emotion: why emotions are constructed rather than set off.
See on Amazon ›Amazon links are affiliate links: if you buy, Bounded Uncertainty receives a small commission at no cost to you.
The science behind itHow strong the evidence is, the model, videos and references.
How strong the evidence is
Promising Good studies, but little tested with children at home or school, or the step to daily life is our interpretation.
References
- Kashdan, T. B., Barrett, L. F., & McKnight, P. E. (2015). Unpacking emotion differentiation: transforming unpleasant experience by perceiving distinctions in negativity. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 24(1), 10–16.
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