Human Growth and Development / Unit 4 HGD 0473 worked example, 60 to 90 seconds
Primary and Secondary Emotions
The idea
Emotions arrive in two waves. Primary emotions, joy, sadness, fear, anger, disgust and surprise, are biologically based, appear in the first year, and look the same across cultures. Secondary emotions appear from about eighteen months and depend on a sense of self. Some are self-conscious, responding to how others see the child, such as pride, guilt, shame and embarrassment. Others are other-evaluative, judging other people, such as love, empathy, jealousy and envy.
In practice
The same toddler at six months crying in fear at a loud noise, and at two years blushing when caught.
Where people slip
The dividing line is the self. Pride and shame need a self to be proud or ashamed of, which is why they follow self-recognition in the mirror test rather than preceding it. Culture then shapes when they are felt: individualistic cultures teach pride in personal accomplishment, while collectivist cultures discourage calling attention to oneself.
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