The Emergence of Jealousy in Children 4 Months to 7 Years of Age

Abstract

Children's expression of jealousy was studied in a cross-sectional sample of children. In the first study, 56 females and 56 males, ages 4.5 months to 4.5 years, were videotaped while their mother paid exclusive attention to another child in a social situation thought to evoke jealousy. In the second study, 10 girls and 10 boys, ages 4.9-7.3 years, were videotaped while their mother praised another child's drawing. We present indications that the emotional state of jealousy can be reliably and validly inferred from the children's behavior in these social settings. Jealousy emerged most intensely in the majority of children between approximately 1.1 and 2.3 years and at 3.5 years children distinguished between social situations which elicit jealousy. These findings are related to the cognitive developmental theories of Case et al. (1988) and Fischer et al. (1989).