The Development of Semantic Processing in Children’s Emotional Advancement: An Analysis of the Movie “Inside Out”

Abstract

The study focuses on the development of semantic processing in children through the lens of the Disney animated movie “inside out” by Pete Docter and Ronnie Del Carmen. Semantic processing is a basic aspect of human knowledge of language processing that enables to extract meaning from the words and to comprehend the intended information conveyed by others. The movie “Inside Out” depicts the story of an 11-year-old girl named Riley and the personification of her emotion Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust as they navigate her life experiences. By analyzing the movie’s plot, characters and dialogues, the study investigates (1) how children’s semantic processing develops over time, (2) how it relates to the ability to understand abstract concepts and how it can impact children’s emotional development. (3) What role do metaphors and analogies play in the semantic development of children depicted in the movie. The goals of this study are to investigate the content, characters, and themes of the movie, to analyze the use of metaphors and analogies in the movie and to explore the relationship between the development of semantic processing and children's emotional advancement. The present study used mixed method to provide a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon. The study targeted two different age groups i.e. 5-8 years and 9-12 years to calculate the impact of age on the development of semantic processing. The findings indicate that the movie “Inside Out” successfully engaged the children in reflecting on and succussing their understanding of emotions. Participants demonstrated and enhanced awareness of the importance and complexity of emotions. Also, it provides insight into how animated movies can be used as a tool to promote semantic development in children’s emotional advancement and inform the development of educational materials that can facilitate semantic processing in children.