Cognitive and emotional
development
Fahad Alosaimi MBBS, SSC-Psych
Consultation liaison psychiatrist
King Saud University
Learning objectives
Upon completion of this event, attendees will
have:
 Enhanced knowledge & understanding of some
important theories pertaining to cognitive and
emotional development.
 Awareness of the connection between cognition,
emotions and behaviours.
 Skills to examine the stages of cognitive and
emotional development.
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Dr.Fahad Alosaimi
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Outlines of the talk
 Cognitive Schemas
 Cognitive development
 Moral reasoning
 Different aspects of emotion
 Inappropriate emotion
 The dynamics of emotions
 Anger
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Cognitive psychology
 Thoughts: a way of processing information which
are related to a particular time , person or object.
 Thinking: The mental manipulation of information
of internal representations of objects and
situations ( Wade and Tavis, 1993)
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Cognitive Schemas (Piaget)
 Schemas : a cognitive map for processing
information.
 Piaget : a process of formations or reformulations
of schemas include:
 Assimilations: the act of taking in a new
information.
 Accommodation: The act of making room to allow
for new information.
 Adaptation : the whole process of assimilations
and accommodation...equilibrium between them.
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Cognitive Schemas (Piaget)
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Cognitive psychology
 Irrational thinking ,e.g. doctors have easy life.
..Doctors have difficult life...
 Models of life positions (Ok-ness
concept)
( truly think of self & others), ( Thomas Harris, 1973) :
 OK means good, not OK means either bad or feeling
inferior.
 Four life positions:
I’m not OK- you are OK (I am inferior to others)
I’m not OK- you are not OK (every one is bad
I ‘m OK- you are not OK (I am superior to others)
I’m OK- you are OK( there is goodness in everyone)
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Unconsc.
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Cognitive development (Piaget)
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Cognitive development (Piaget)
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Piaget and moral reasoning
 Moral realism: obligation and values are
determined by law or the order itself, independent
of the intentions and relationships.
 Moral realism lead to objective responsibilities.
 Children believe if they violate some moral rules
they will be punished .
 Moral reasoning will start through the process of
socialization.
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Kohlberg & moral reasoning
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Kohlberg & moral reasoning
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Reason for obedience and value imposed on
human life ( Kohler, 1984)
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Motives for moral actions
Value of human life
1) Obey rules to avoid punishment
Value is confused with the value of
physical objects..based on social
status or physical attributes of the
possessors.
2) Conform to obtain rewards
Value is instrumental to the
satisfactions of the needs of its
possessor or of others.
3) Conform to avoid disapproval
Value is based on empathy of others
.
4) Conform to avoid harsh
disapproval of authority and
resultant guilt
Life is sacred in in term of its place
in a categorical moral or religious
order of rights and duties.
5) Conform to maintain the respect
of the impartial spectator judging in
terms of community welfare
Life is valued in relation to
community welfare and of being a
universal human right.
6) Conform to avoid selfcondemnation
Human life is sacred- a universal
human value of respect for the
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individual.
Dr.Fahad Alosaimi
Emotion &
behaviour
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Emotion
 Body without emotion is like a body without a
heart.
 Emotion help to appreciate love, pain and grief.
 Emotion is the essence of all animal
communications ( verbal & non verbal).
 Contributes to the preservation of the moral rules
of the society.
E.G . Patents may say to their child “you should
feel bad for the way you behave”
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Physiological aspects of emtotion
 Arousal of limbic system lead to changes in HR,
sweating and BP.
 According to Delgado(1971), electrical stimulation of
the rat brain resulted in two types of emotional
responses:
1) false rage( pseudorage): vocal display of verbal
aggression not directed at other rates, anterior
hypothalamus
2) true rage: vocal display of verbal aggression to ward
off the threatening danger , lateral hypothalamus.
 Delgado(1971), stimulation of the right amygdala may
produce a “fit of rage” in psych patient who was
playing.
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Expressive aspects of emotion
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Experiential aspect of emotion
 Crucial to daily functioning and responsible for
motivating action.
 People behaviour is related mostly to mixed emotions
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Primary emotions
Secondary (mixed) emotions
Acceptance
Disgust
Anticipation/expectation
Anger
Fear
Joy
Sadness
surprise
Aggressiveness( anger+ anticipation)
Awe ( fear+ surprise)
Contempt( anger+ disgust)
Disappointment(sadness +surprise)
Love( acceptance + joy)
Optimism( anticipation +joy)
Remorse( sadness+ disgust)
Submission( acceptance + fear)
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Have you always expressed your
true feelings?
 Inappropriate emotion: one which is not
warranted by the evoking object or situation.
 Racket feeling: put the true feeling on hold &
take on a substitute feeling.
 May be unconscious.
 Learned from parents and significant others:
It is better not to cry!....Do not be upset!...Do not let
them know how you feel!...pretend it does not
hurt!..etc.
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The dynamics of emotion
(Plutchik,1994)
The event
e.g. threat
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The
perception
of the event
e.g. danger
Felt emotion
e.g. fear
Behavioural
response
e.g. escape.
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Anger is a natural emotion
 Anger is an arousal plus thoughts of attacking.
 is a strong feeling of annoyance.
 Anger bouts have:
 antecedents
 behaviour
 consequences.
 Common antecedents of anger :
 problems with relationship,
 interaction with strangers,
 injustice
 inconveniences.
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Anger
 Socialisation may lead to regard anger as a
weakness .
 When people get angry , they tend to function
purely from an emotional dimension.
 may behave from mild irritation to destruction.
 Anger is an intrapersonal event but mostly
expressed in an overt behaviour.
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Anger
• Expression of anger:
 Outward , e.g. in destructive behaviour.
 Inward, e.g. Depression or suicide.
 Repressed or suppressed( on hold)
May adaptive if
proper channel like
boxing
Maladaptive !!
• Theories of anger:
 Psychoanalysis: instinct of aggression is aroused
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through frustration of the id, & externalized to
protect individual from self-harm.
 Frustration-aggression hypothesis ( dollard,1939).
 Social learning theory( bandura,1973):aggression
is a learned behaviour, through reinforcement,
direct
observation and instruction
Dr.Fahad
Alosaimi
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Functions of anger & aggression
 Ventilation of anger.
 Defence against anxiety “to deal with their
anxieties in an attempt to protect themselves”.
 Controlling function “ let them know who is the
boss”
 Protective function “ to warn the enemy that I am
not an easy prey”
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