本研究分為兩個部分，第一個部分旨在瞭解幼兒情緒理解的一般發展狀況，第二部分則探討親子共讀時的情緒言談與幼兒情緒理解的關係。
第一部分
本研究第一部分檢視我國幼兒在情緒理解測驗上的通過情形，以120名幼兒為對象，分三個年齡組進行施測，並考驗情緒理解得分在幼兒背景變項上的差異情形。
第一部分主要發現如下：
一、我國幼兒在情緒理解九大向度的通過率隨年齡增加而提高，理解內涵的發展順序則從初始的情緒理解發展到心智性的情緒理解，最後發展到反省性的情緒理解。
二、幼兒情緒理解能力的發展受到社會文化的影響，我國幼兒的作答反應與各情緒理解測試題的通過時序不同於英美國家，挑戰了過去認為情緒理解的發展是普世性的論點，卻支持了情緒理解發展的社會建構觀。
三、在影響幼兒情緒理解能力的背景因素方面，本研究發現我國幼兒的情緒理解得分與兄姐數呈負相關，卻與弟妹數有正相關，與國外的發現正好相反；此外，母親教育程度及家庭社經地位則都與幼兒心智性的情緒理解能力有關，顯示幼兒心智性情緒理解的發展與幼兒的社會互動經驗有關。
第二部分
本研究第二部分探討親子共讀時的情緒言談對幼兒情緒理解能力發展的影響，以46組親子為對象，進行親子共讀錄音與語料分析，藉以瞭解親子共讀時情緒言談的內涵與幼兒情緒理解得分的相關。
本研究第二部分的主要發現如下：
一、 幼兒情緒理解能力的發展與語言能力有密切的關係，但一般語言能力是情緒理解能力發展的必要條件而非充份條件。
二、 幼兒的情緒理解能力與一般的親子共讀行為無關，而與父母的情緒言談品質有關。若父母未能在親子共讀的過程中提供心智性的情緒言談，則幼兒並不能從親子共讀中獲得情緒理解的進展。
三、 並非所有的情緒言談都有助於幼兒的情緒理解，唯有「清楚標示故事人物情緒狀態並以其心中的想法加以解釋」的情緒言談才對幼兒情緒理解能力有所有助益，其對幼兒情緒理解能力的影響主要發生在心智性的情緒理解能力上。

研究最後並根據研究結果提出未來研究及教育上的建議。

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