Bozhok N.

National University of Food Technologies

The psychological peculiarities of students’ emotional experience

For generations, student’s age which can be referred to the late adolescence has been viewed as a period of emotional upheaval and turmoil (Arnett, 1999). Historically, development from childhood into adolescence has been thought to include an increase in the intensity of emotions, the experience and expression of emotional lability or “mood swings” (Hall, 1904), and an increase in negatively valenced emotions (Freud, 1969). Currently, popular depictions of adolescents and youth use words like “alienated”, “desperate,” and “overwhelmed” to describe youths’ inner lives (Underwood, 1999). The public typically perceives adolescence to be a troubled time, and believes that adolescents are more likely than younger ones to have problems with family, conflicts, anxiety, insecurity, and depression (Buchanan et al., 1990; Holmbeck & Hill, 1988).

While some data contradict the conceptualization of adolescence as a period of turmoil, there are many indications that the emotional landscape of adolescent life differs from the periods that precede and follow it.

Several studies have been conducted by Larson and colleagues using the “experience sampling method” (ESM) (e.g., Larson & Lampman-Petraitis, 1989; Larson et al., 1990). This method allows for descriptions of the adolescents’ emotions, including emotional intensity, variability, and events that trigger emotions.

The ESM research indicates that adolescent emotional experience does differ in intensity, frequency, and persistence from that of older and younger individuals. Compared to their parents, adolescents experience greater extremes of emotion, with a bigger range between higher and lower moods (Larson, Csikzentmihalyi, & Graef, 1980); this was particularly true for negative emotions. Adolescents also reported experiencing negative moods more frequently than adults. Though adolescents reported experiencing extreme positive moods more frequently than adults, on average, adults’ mood states are more positive than adolescents’. Adults reported feeling more in control, more active, and more alert than adolescents. In addition to being more negative, adolescents’ mood states were less persistent and quicker to dissipate than those of adults. The frequency of very “high highs,” and very “low lows,” and the fleeting quality of their emotional states, lends some credibility to adults’ stereotypic perceptions of adolescents as moody and changeable.

There also are differences in the events adolescents perceive to be triggers for emotions. Adolescents are more reactive and sensitive to past and future events. These developments are likely related to enhancements in cognitive functioning as adolescents are able to attend to more subtle cues, hold and examine complex events in the memory, and anticipate the implications of future events.

Rates of depressed mood and emotionality increase overall with the onset of adolescence. Drops in self-esteem at adolescence, low perceived competence in academic, peer-social, and behavioral domains, low levels of perceived support from peers have been linked to depressed mood in adolescence (Harter & Whitesell, 1996; Nolen-Hoeksema & Girgus, 1994).

In addition, as in adults, poor mood and depressive symptoms in adolescents are associated with a cognitive style which includes negative automatic thoughts, hopelessness, helplessness, and a tendency toward rumination over problems and worries (Garber, Weiss, & Shanley, 1993; Nolen-Hoeksema & Girgus, 1994).

The emotional experiences (i.e., the moment-to-moment, or day-to-day feelings) of adolescence are likely to be confined to the developmental period. In contrast, emotional skills and abilities developed during adolescence are expected to persist into adulthood, and serve as the building blocks for adult emotional functioning. This includes the ability to experience and reflect on mixed and conflicting emotions, more sophisticated skill in emotional dissemblance. All above mentioned factors lead to frustration tolerance. Frustration tolerance is the ability to postpone or delay reaching of a goal, or to respond reasonably to a thwarted wish or desire. In the nature of a society not all goals, needs, wants are immediately satisfied. Young people have little appreciation of possible impediment and demand immediate fulfillments. As they grow older they learn increasingly to control demands and to accept delayed gratification. In the course of time students have to learn that a daily living is a mixed of pleasant and unpleasant events. Early explosive reactions have to be gradually moderated if students are to find an acceptable place in the society. There is some evidence that frustration tolerance can be inborn feature. Even so, like other personal features, frustration tolerance is fundamentally shaped by experience of growing up.

As a result of forming frustration tolerance, the overall emotional tone tends to be stable from adolescence into adulthood. Therefore, in addition to supporting basic healthy emotional development, we might do well to guide adolescents how to increase frustration tolerance. This might include emphasizing the development of rational thinking; unconditional life acceptance and all this will lead students to constructive behaviour, adaptability to the frustrations and ability to use the challenges of life to their advantage.

References

1. Arnett, J. J. Adolescent storm and stress reconsidered. American Psychologist, 54(5), 1999.- p317–326.

2. Garber, J., Weiss, B., & Shanley, N. (1993). Cognitions, Depressive Symptoms, and Developmentin Adolescents. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 102, 1993.- p 47–57.

3. Hoghughi M. Assessing Child and Adolescent Disorders: A practical Manual. Sage, 1992, p 374.

4. Larson, R., & Asmussen, L. Anger, worry, and hurt in early adolescence: An enlarging world of negative emotions. In M. E. Colten & S. Gore (Eds.), Adolescent stress: Causes and consequences. New York: Aldine de Gruyter, 1991.-p21-41.

5. .Larson, R., Csikzentmihalyi, M., & Graef, R. Mood variability and the psychosocial adjustment of adolescents. Journal of Youth and Adolescents, 9, 1980. –p 469–490.

6. Larson, R., & Lampman-Petraitis, C. Daily emotional states as reported by children and adolescents. Child Development, 60, 1989, p1250–1260.

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