Investigating the relationship between emotional contagion, emotion regulation and social competence: a developmental and comparative investigation.

The ability to understand and connect with others underpins our social and mental wellbeing; it also enables uniquely human skills, including in communication and cooperation. A crucial affective process involved in this is emotional contagion (EC), which forms the basis of empathy. In adulthood, constructs related to EC are associated with healthy

social functioning, which in turn is influenced by the capacity for effective emotion regulation (ER). However, it remains unknown how individual variability in EC and ER shape children's ability to form and maintain healthy relationships with others. Furthermore, it is unknown what aspects of the interaction between these processes

are unique to humans, enabling the higher level socioemotional functioning that defines our species. I aim to conduct a systematic developmental investigation, with young children (aged 3-8) from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, in order to identify the complex patterns and interaction between EC, ER and social competence

and how this influences healthy social functioning. To understand the evolutionary foundations of these processes and their uniquely human properties, I will augment this with complementary comparative research in chimpanzees, our closest living relatives. To understand the role of EC in social functioning, I will

combine innovative pupillometry experiments with Social Network Analysis, complemented with experimental / ESRC NINE DTP Postgraduate Studentship Nomination Form / Page 3 of 15 studies and behavioural data to measure cooperation and ER. Research into drivers of healthy human social development will hold key implications for social policy

on childhood, allowing us to cultivate environments where children foster meaningful relationships, and find ways to better support those struggling with social isolation.