Table 2.

Overview of the components of emotion understanding measured by the TEC

Phase	Component	Description	Example item
External	Recognition	Recognize emotions from external cues (e.g., facial expression)	“Can you point at the angry face?” (Component: Recognition)
	External cause	How external causes affect emotions
	Reminder	How memory of past events affects emotions
Mental	Desire	How people's emotions depend on what they want or prefer	“The rabbit eats a carrot. It doesn't see the fox hiding behind the bushes. How do you think the rabbit feels?” (Component: Belief)
	Belief	How people's emotions depend on what they think or know
	Hiding	The possible discrepancy between expressed and felt emotion
Reflective	Regulation	Strategies for emotion regulation	“The boy is sad because his rabbit died. What can he do to stop being sad?” (Component: Regulation)
	Mixed	The possibility of experiencing multiple emotions concurrently
	Morality	How morals affect emotions