Abstract
Ourreseachshowedhow1-year-oldchildrenunderstoodcharacters'emotionswhenmothersreadthem2picturebookstories:a"crymg"storyandan"angry"story.Thebehaviorof4mother-childpairswasobservedmonthlyoverthecourseofayear,asfollows.First,forthe"crying"story,childrenbegantounderstandthereasonfortheprotagonists'cryingatabouttheageof18months.Whenthestorycharacterwasreunitedwithhismother,thechildrensmiledorexpressedrelief.Secondly,whenlisteningtothe"crying"story,childrenirnitatedthenaturalfacralexpressronofcrying.Thissuggeststhatchildrencaneasilyunderstandsorrybyobservingacryingexpres-sion.Third,forthe"angry"storytherewereindividualdifferencesinchildren'semotionalexpressions.Childrenages19to24monthssometimesweremoreinterestedinthe2characters'interactionsthanintheirangryemo-tions.Indeedthefacialexpressionofangerwasnotwellunderstoodbyparticipants.Finally,fromabouttheageof18months,3ofthechildrenbegantotalkaboutthecharacters,sometimeseveninterpretingtheiremotionsandcriticizingthem.Theseresultssuggestthatinthesecondyearoflifechildrencomewithagetobetterunderstandandimitatestorycharacters'emotions,respondingdifferentiallytotheemotionsofangervs.sadness.
