Sherri Widen 1 Sherri Widen, Ph.D. Department of Psychology e mail: widensh@bc.edu Boston College 301 McGuinn Hall Phone: 617 552 6768 140 Commonwealth Ave. Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 Website: www2.bc.edu/~widensh Research Interests Emotion, Cognition, and Development: My research challenges the traditional view which assumes that children begin with adult like concepts based on an understanding of facial expressions (sad face as sad, the scared face as scared, etc.) and need only acquire causes, consequences, and so on for each concept. My research shows that the path to understanding emotion is long: Children begin with two broad and valencebased concepts (feels good vs. feels bad) which only gradually differentiate as children acquire adult like emotion concepts. At all ages, children have a systematic way of understanding emotion, including facial expressions, but that system is not adult like for several years. Education & Training 2009 Present Research Associate, Emotion Development Lab, Boston College 2005 2009 Post Doctoral Fellow, Emotion Development Lab, Boston College 2001 2005 Ph.D., Developmental Psychology, Boston College Dissertation title: Preschoolers Use of Emotion Labels and Understanding of Emotion Categories Advisor: James A. Russell, Ph.D. 1997 2000 M. A., Developmental Psychology, University of British Columbia Thesis title: The Developmental Course of Children s Free Labeling Responses to Facial Expressions Advisor: James A. Russell, Ph.D. 1992 1996 B. A., Psychology, University of British Columbia Grants and Distinctions 2012 Co PI (with James A. Russell) on 2 year grant under review at NICHD. Title: Children s Disgust Sensitivity and Understanding of Disgust 2012 Co PI (with James A. Russell) on 3 year grant under review at NICHD. Title: The Child s Concept of Disgust 2010 Co PI (with James A. Russell) on NSF grant awarded September 2010 (3 years). Research funding for program of research on children s understanding of emotion. Title: Scripts: Children s Understanding of
Sherri Widen 2 Emotion 2005 2009 5 year post doctoral fellowship, Boston College 2004 2010 Key collaborator on NSF grant (P.I.: James A. Russell) awarded June 2004. Research funding for program of research on children s understanding of emotion. Title: Children's Understanding of Emotion. 2001 2004 Graduate student stipend, Boston College 2001 2004 Tuition scholarship, Boston College 2001 Research grant, University of British Columbia 1997 2001 Graduate student stipend, University of British Columbia 1997 Graduate student stipend, York University Departmental Service 2007 2009 Greater Faculty Committee, Chair. Committee s mission is to integrate adjunct professors and post doctoral fellows into the department. 2009 Subject Pool Committee. Committee determines the number of course participation credits students are required to do, and how many credits each department lab may have each semester. 2008 Department Website Committee. Committee made decisions about the content and appearance of the new department webpage. 2002 2005 Graduate Research Day Committee, Department of Psychology, Boston College,. Initiated, organized, and coordinated the annual department Graduate Research conference. 2001 Colloquium Committee, Department of Psychology, Boston College. Helped to select and invite colloquium speakers, and to organize their visits. 2000 2001 Psychology Graduate Student Council, University of British Columbia. Participated in the student council, and took responsibility colloquia preparations. Publications Google Scholar Citations: h index: 7; Citations: 355 Widen, S. C. (in press). Children s Interpretation of Facial Expressions: The Long Path from Valence Based to Specific Discrete Categories. Emotion Review. Kayyal, M. H., Widen, S. C., & Russell, J. A. (in press). What Made Sahar Scared?: Imaginary and Realistic Causes in Palestinian and American. Cognition and Culture. Pochedly, J. T.,* Widen, S. C., & Russell J. A. (2012). What emotion does the facial expression of disgust express? Emotion. Advanced online publication. doi: 10.1037/a0027998 Widen, S. C. & Naab, P.* (2012). Can An Anger Face Also Be Scared? Malleability of
Sherri Widen 3 Facial Expressions. Emotion. Advanced online publication. doi: 10.1037/a0026119 Widen, S. C. & Russell, J. A. (2011). In Building a Script for an Emotion, Do Preschoolers Add Its Cause Before Its Behavior Consequence? Social Development, 20, 471 485. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467 9507.2010.00594.x Widen, S. C., Christy, A. M.,º Hewett, K., º & Russell, J. A. (2011). Do Proposed Facial Expressions of Contempt, Shame, Embarrassment, and Sympathy Communicate the Predicted Emotion? Cognition and Emotion, 25, 898 906. DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2010.508270 Widen, S. C. & Russell, J. A. (2010). Differentiation in preschoolers categories for emotion. Emotion, 10, 651 661. DOI: 10.1037/a0019005 Widen, S. C. & Russell, J. A. (2010). The disgust face conveys anger to children. Emotion, 10, 455 466. DOI:10.1037/a0019151 Widen, S. C. & Russell, J. A. (2010). Children s scripts for social emotions: Causes and consequences are more central than are facial expressions. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 28, 565 581. DOI: 10.1348/026151009X457550d Widen, S. C. & Russell, J. A. (2010). Descriptive and Prescriptive Definitions of Emotion. Emotion Review, 2, 377 378. DOI: 10.1177/1754073910374667 Widen, S. C. & Russell, J. A. (2008). Children s and Adults Understanding of the Disgust Face. Cognition and Emotion, 22, 1513 1541. DOI: 10.1080/02699930801906744 Widen, S. C. & Russell, J. A. (2008). Young children's understanding of other's emotions. In M. Lewis, J. M. Haviland Jones (Eds.), Handbook of emotions (pp. 348 363). New York, NY: Guilford. Widen, S. C. & Russell, J. A. (2008). Children acquire emotion categories gradually. Cognitive Development, 23, 291 312. DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2008.01.002 Widen, S. C. & Russell, J. A. (2004). The relative power of an emotion s facial expression, label, and behavioral consequences to evoke preschoolers knowledge of its cause. Cognitive Development, 19, 111 125. DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2003.11.004 Widen, S. C. & Russell, J. A. (2003). A Closer Look at Preschoolers Freely Produced Labels for Facial Expressions. Developmental Psychology, 39, 114 128. DOI: 10.1037/0012 1649.39.1.114 Widen, S. C. & Russell, J. A. (2002). Gender and Preschoolers Perception of Emotion. Merrill Palmer Quarterly, 48, 248 262. DOI: 10.1353/mpq.2002.0013 Russell, J. A. & Widen, S. C. (2002a). Words versus Faces in Evoking Children s Knowledge of the Causes of Emotions. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 26, 97 103. DOI: 10.1080/01650250042000582 Russell, J. A. & Widen, S. C. (2002b). A Label Superiority Effect in children s categorization of facial expressions. Social Development, 11, 30 52. DOI: 10.1111/1467 9507.00185
Sherri Widen 4 Invited Resubmissions Widen, S. C. & Russell, J. A. (2012). Children s recognition of disgust in others. Psychological Bulletin, invited resubmission. Widen, S. C. (2012). Do Preschoolers understand filial love as a persisting emotion? Cognitive Development, invited resubmission. Widen, S. C., Pochedly, J. T.,* Pieloch, K., & Russell, J. A. (2012). Will the real disgust face please stand up? Cognition & Emotion, invited resubmission. Yik, M., Widen, S. C., & Russell, J. A. (2012). The within subject design in the study of facial expressions. Cognition & Emotion, invited resubmission. Submitted for Publication Widen, S. C. (2012). Preschoolers interpretation of emotion, texture, and novel labels: an emotion bias. Manuscript submitted. Kayyal, M. H.* & Widen, S. C. (2012). Monsters and growling dogs: a dual source theory of the child s concept of fear. Manuscript submitted. Widen, S. C., Williams, M., º & Nelson, N. L. (2012). The contempt face expresses cognition, not contempt. Manuscript submitted. Manuscripts in Preparation: Widen, S. C., Gallucci, J., º Acevedo, L., º & Russell, J. A. (2012). Body posture and contextual information are stronger cues to emotion than facial expression. Manuscript in preparation. Trauffer, N., º Widen, S. C., & Russell, J. A. (2012). Effect of college education on recognition of prototypical facial expressions of basic emotions. Manuscript in preparation. Nelson, N. L. & Widen, S. C. (2012). The development of preschoolers theory of mind and emotion understanding. Manuscript in preparation. * Co authored with graduate student º Co authored with undergraduate student
Sherri Widen 5 Conference Presentations Invited Speaker Widen, S. C. (2012). Children s Understanding of Disgust. Invited talk at the Evolution of Disgust Conference at the ZiF Center for Interdisciplinary Research, Bielefeld, Germany. Symposia & Papers Widen, S. C. (organizer), Nelson, N. L., & Kayyal, M. H.* (2012). The effect of context on emotion judgments: From preschool to adulthood. Symposium presented at the 42nd Annual Meeting of the Jean Piaget Society, Toronto, ON. Nelson, N. L., Widen, S. C., & Vanessa Castro (2011). Facial Expressions and Beyond: Children s Understanding of Emotion Expressions Includes Multiple Components. Symposium presented at SRCD, Montreal, QC. Widen, S. C. (organizer), Nelson, N. L.,* & Mondloch, C. J. (2010). The Effect of Context on Children s Attribution of Emotion to Facial Expressions. Symposium presented at the Conference on Human Development, New York City, NY. Widen, S. C. (organizer), Danovitch, J., & Mumme, D. (2007). Children s Understanding of Disgust: Expression, Elicitors, Contamination. Symposium presented at the 2007 Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Boston, MA. Widen, S. C. (organizer), Larivier, L. A., & Guttentag, R. (2005). Piecemeal or wholesale: How do children acquire emotion concepts? Symposium presented at the 17th Annual American Psychological Society Convention, Los Angeles, CA. Widen, S. C. (2003). Free labeling of emotions by two and three year olds: A face superiority effect. Presented at the Second Annual Graduate Research Day, Boston College. Widen, S. C. (2002). Preschoolers interpretation of emotional facial expressions: A closer look at the free labeling task. Presented at the First Annual Graduate Research Day, Boston College. Widen, S. C. (2002). Differentiation model of children s understanding of emotion. Presented at the Boston Emotion Research Lab. Widen, S. C. (1999). Children s free labeling responses to facial expressions: Is their difficulty with the task or the faces? Presented at Pyscfest, University of British Columbia. Selected Posters
Sherri Widen 6 Pochedly, J. T.,* Widen, S. C., & Russell J. A. (2012). What Emotion Does the Facial Expression of Disgust Express? Presented at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology Conference, San Diego, CA. Nelson, N. L.* & Widen, S. C. (2011). Theory of Mind Development Predicts Preschoolers Use of Belief Words in Reasoning about Emotions. Presented at the Cognitive Development Society Conference, Philadelphia, PA. Widen, S.C., & Russell, J.A. (2011). Are Good Boys Happy Victimizers? Children s Attributions of Emotion to Good vs. Bad Boys Following an Immoral Behavior. Presented at SRCD, Montreal, QC. Kayyal, M. H.,* Widen, S. C. & Russell, J.A. (2010). Palestinian and American Children s Understanding of Fear. Presented at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology Emotion Preconference, Las Vegas, NV. Widen, S.C., Christy, A. M., º & Russell, J.A. (2009). Raising Questions about the Recognition of New Universally Recognized Facial Expressions. Presented at the Association for Psychological Science Conference, San Francisco, CA. Widen, S.C., & Russell, J.A. (2009). Do Children Understand that Parental Love Persists When the Child is Angry? Presented at SRCD, Denver, CO. Widen, S.C. & Russell, J.A. (2008). Children s Descriptions of the Causes and Consequences of Disgust Facial Expressions. Presented at the Association for Psychological Science Conference, Chicago, IL. Widen, S. C. & Russell, J. A. (2007). Fantasy vs. Reality: Young Children s Understanding of Fear. Poster presented at the 19 th Annual Association for Psychological Science Convention, Washington, DC. Widen, S. C. & Russell, J. A. (2007). Children s Understanding of Scripts for Basic Level vs. Social Emotions. Poster presented at the 2007 Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Boston, MA. Widen, S. C. & Russell, J. A. (2006). Children s Understanding of Anger and Disgust: Confusions or Overlapping Categories? Poster presented at the International Society for Research on Emotions Conference, Atlanta, 2006. Naab, P.,* Widen, S. C., Christy, A. M., º & Russell, J. A. (2006). Gender stereotypes influence emotion attribution despite clear cues to emotion. Poster presented at the 18 th Annual American Psychological Society Convention, New York, NY. Widen, S. C. & Russell, J. A. (2005). Do young children understand love as persisting? Presented at the 17th Annual American Psychological Society Convention, Los Angeles, CA. Widen, S. C., Russell, J. A., & Brooks, A.* (2004). Anger and disgust: Discrete or overlapping categories? Presented at the 16 th Annual American Psychological Society Convention, Chicago, IL.
Sherri Widen 7 Widen, S. C. & Russell, J. A. (2004). Preschoolers acquire emotion categories gradually. Presented at the 18 th Biennial Conference on Human Development (2004), Washington, DC. Widen, S. C. & Russell, J. A. (2002). Preschoolers interpretation of emotional facial expressions: A closer look at the free labeling task. Presented at the XII Conference of the International Society for Research on Emotion (2002), Cuenca, Spain. Russell, J. A. & Widen, S. C. (2000). Centrality of words versus facial expressions in children's conception of emotion. Presented at the Jean Piaget Society Conference (2000), Montreal, QC. Widen, S. C. & Russell, J. A. (1999). Words vs. facial expressions in children's categorization of emotions. Presented at American Psychological Association Conference (1999), Boston, MA. * Co authored with graduate student º Co authored with undergraduate student Teaching 2006 2011 Instructor, Developmental Psychology, Boston College Topics include developmental stages from infancy to adolescence, cognitive, social, emotional, moral, and self development. Fall 2010 Instructor, Social Psychology, Boston College. Topics include behavior of individuals in social contexts (including social cognition, attitude formation and change, individual and group decision making, the self, prejudice, conformity, close relationships, helping). Summer 2005 Instructor, Social and Emotional Development, Boston College. Topics include infant emotion recognition, attachment theory, children s emotion understanding, and adolescent risk behavior and suicide. Spring, 2005, Instructor, Culture and Emotion, Boston College. Spring, 2010 Topics include emotion theories and the role of culture in the experience of emotion. Spring 2003, Co Instructor (with Dr. James Russell), Culture and Emotion, Boston 2004. College. Fall 2002, Guest lecturer, Introductory Psychology, Boston College. 2003 Introduction to the psychology of emotions. 1997 to 2001 Guest lecturer, Memory, University of British Columbia. Three lecture series on the development of infant memory and the nature of infant amnesia. 1997 to 2001 Guest lecturer, Human Emotion, University of British Columbia. Lectures included a series on children s understanding and
Sherri Widen 8 experience of emotion, a series on cultural influences on emotion, and a series on romantic love. Teacher Training 2007 Attended the 2 nd SRCD Biennial Developmental Science Teaching Institute. Sessions included use of life story narrative in teaching, using stories from our own research experiences and stories about others research to help capture students interest. 2005 Attended the 1 st SRCD Biennial Developmental Science Teaching Institute. Sessions included better use of PowerPoint in lectures, new paradigm for teaching Piaget, brain development and plasticity. Ad Hoc Reviewer British Journal of Developmental Psychology Child Development Cognition & Emotion Cognitive Development Developmental Psychology Emotion Emotion Review European Review of Applied Psychology Infant and Child development Journal of Experimental Child Psychology Journal of Nonverbal Behavior Merrill Palmer Quarterly Psychonomic Bulletin & Review Sex Roles Social Development Professional Organizations Member, American Psychological Society, since 2002 Member, International Society for Research on Emotions, since 2003 Member, Society for Research in Child Development, since 2004 Member, Jean Piaget Society, since 2004 Member, Cognitive Development Society, since 2007