A child who recognizes that people can have two very different feelings about the same thing is probably what age?

A child who recognizes that people can have two very different feelings about the same thing is probably what age?

• A. 12 years
• B. 8 years
• C. 14 years
• D. 10 years

Answer: (A)

This item is about emotional perspective-taking—the idea that people can have different emotional reactions to the same situation. As children develop, they move from assuming others feel as they themselves do to recognizing that someone else might feel happy, disappointed, excited, or mixed emotions for reasons the child may not share. By about 12 years old, many children show this more sophisticated understanding: they can see that two people can have very different feelings about the same event and can even hold conflicting or nuanced emotions. This reflects a rise in social-cognitive sophistication typical of early adolescence. Younger children are more likely to expect uniform feelings, while older teens show even more nuanced emotional understanding.

This item is about emotional perspective-taking—the idea that people can have different emotional reactions to the same situation. As children develop, they move from assuming others feel as they themselves do to recognizing that someone else might feel happy, disappointed, excited, or mixed emotions for reasons the child may not share. By about 12 years old, many children show this more sophisticated understanding: they can see that two people can have very different feelings about the same event and can even hold conflicting or nuanced emotions. This reflects a rise in social-cognitive sophistication typical of early adolescence. Younger children are more likely to expect uniform feelings, while older teens show even more nuanced emotional understanding.