Connection of Features of Identification with Cartoon Characters with the Understanding of Emotions in Older Preschoolers

This work is a part of the series of studies devoted to the perception of animated films by preschoolers and is aimed at studying the characteristics of children's identification in connection with their understanding of emotions.The relevance of the topic is due, on the one hand, to the generally recognized fact of the close connection of art with human feelings, and, on the other, to the extremely low level of knowledge of issues in this area, especially with regard to young children.In this paper, it was suggested that the identification of preschoolers with various cartoon characters is based on the relationship between the personal attitude of children to these characters and the characteristics of their understanding of emotions.The study included children watching the cartoon Old Toy (1971; timing: 9:42; screenplay by V. Livanov, director of photography V. Samsonov), then the children were offered tests: a modified method of personal constructs by J. Kelly and the Test of Emotion Comprehension.The results of the factor analysis allowed us to identify three bipolar factors that determine the peculiarities of the perception of cartoons by children who identify themselves with the main characters or do not identify themselves with any of them.The results obtained can become the basis for further research, and can also be used for educational purposes.