Relationship Between Cognitive & Emotional Development in Toddlers

Regulating Emotions

• Among the various aspects of cognition are problem-solving, attention -- the ability to maintain focus on a subject, issue or problem -- and memory. Cognition is typically a conscious action, as in solving a math problem. Emotions, on the other hand, are more of a mental state related to temperament and the environment. A toddler, for example, can be a basically happy, cheerful child or may be shy or fearful instead. Each child in a family may have a very different temperament, but most children begin to learn how to regulate their emotions when they are approximately 3 or 4 years old, according to the summer 2007 issue of Research magazine from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Working Memory

• According to research at Virginia Tech, emotion and working memory develop separately in the first years and gradually come together so that they work with each other. Working memory is what you use to hold information in your mind for a short period of time; in solving a multiple-step math problem, for example. The Virginia Tech researchers found that electroencephalograph patterns, which indicate brain activity such as memory, change from infancy to the preschool years. By the age of 10 months, children begin to develop working memory. The increase in working memory skills parallels a child̵7;s ability to regulate her emotions.

Emotions

• Emotional development includes the ability to recognize and understand one̵7;s own feelings, to do the same for other people and to manage one̵7;s emotions while still maintaining empathy for others and building relationships, according to the California Department of Education. An infant may experience and express emotions before she understands them. As children grow, they begin to learn about their own emotions and how to manage them, which also allows them to learn about others̵7; emotions. A child's cognitive processes -- such as decision-making -- are affected by her emotions. A toddler who is tired or hungry, for example, is less able to handle an emotional stimulus, such as a sibling who has taken her toy, and she may react with a temper tantrum.

Other Factors

• A child̵7;s development is affected by the interactions between nature -- her genetic inheritance -- and nurture, or the environment in which she lives. Emotions are embedded in the brain of a toddler, says Shonkoff, and they are also ̶0;wired̶1; to learn. A child̵7;s self-esteem can affect her ability to handle frustration, which affects her ability to learn more difficult tasks or material. The quality of the relationships a toddler has with the people around her affects both her emotions and her intellect. A child who is being abused, for example, or who lives with family violence and high levels of stress, has less emotional capacity to focus on learning and may even suffer from poor brain development, according to Shonkoff.