Impact of the War in Ukraine on the Ability of Children to Recognize Basic Emotions

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Authors

LOSHENKO Oleksandra PALÍŠEK Petr STRAKA Ondřej JABŮREK Michal PORTEŠOVÁ Šárka ŠEVČÍKOVÁ Anna

Year of publication 2024
Type Article in Periodical
Magazine / Source International Journal of Public Health
MU Faculty or unit

Faculty of Social Studies

Citation
web article - open access
Doi http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/ijph.2024.1607094
Keywords children; emotion recognition; emotion intensity; emotion recognition accuracy; war
Attached files
Description Objectives: This study assessed emotion recognition skills in school-age children in wartime conditions in Ukraine. Methods: An online survey based on the concept of basic emotions was administrated to a sample of 419 schoolchildren from Ukraine and a control group of 310 schoolchildren from the Czech Republic, aged 8 to 12. Results: There is no difference in judging the intensity of anger and fear by Ukrainian children, compared with the control group. There is no evidence that the emotions of anger, fear, and sadness were better recognized in the Ukrainian group. Children from Ukraine were better at recognizing positive emotions than Czech children. Conclusion: Increased risks of threats and wartime experience do not impair the accuracy of identification of emotions like fear or the assessment of intensity of basic emotions by children who experience war in Ukraine. Still, it is important to continue studying the long-term consequences of military conflicts in order to deepen the understanding of their impact on human mental functioning.
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