Publication year
2014
Citation Title
Maternal emotion regulation: Links to emotion parenting and child emotion regulation.
Journal Name
Journal of Family Issues
Journal Volume
35
Page Numbers
26-Jan
DOI
10.1177/0192513X14546720
Summary
Mother-child dyads participated in a self-report and observational study examining the associations between mothers' emotional regulation, parenting behaviors, and children's emotion regulation. Observed maternal emotion regulation was negatively associated with unsupportive parenting. Self-reported maternal emotion dysregulation was positively associated with unsupportive parenting and child emotion dysregulation.
Key Findings
Maternal emotion regulation (as reported by the mother) was negatively associated with unsupportive parenting.
Maternal emotion dysregulation was positively associated with unsupportive parenting and with child emotion dysregulation.
Maternal emotion dysregulation was negatively associated with child adaptive emotion regulation.
Parenting behavior partially mediated the link between maternal emotional regulation and child emotion regulation.
Implications for Military Professionals
Facilitate support groups for military mothers struggling with emotional regulation
Collaborate with other professionals in the field regarding ways to promote emotional regulation and supportive parenting among military parents
Implications for Program Leaders
Offer parenting classes focused on developing military parents emotion regulation skills
Offer support groups to help military parents cope with parenting-related stress
Implications for Policy Makers
Continue to support parenting programs for Service members and their families
Encourage professional development for service providers working with military families regarding implementing empirically supported parenting interventions
Methods
Newspaper advertisements were used to recruit families where English was the primary language and the caregiver had lived with the child for the previous two years.
The dyads were videotaped while completing four sequential interaction tasks (discussing conflicts they have); interactions were coded by researchers.
Mothers completed questionnaires about their emotion regulation, parenting behavior, and their child's emotion regulation. Children completed a questionnaire about emotion regulation.
Participants
Sixty-four mother-child dyads participated; the majority of families were Black (52%) or White (41%).
The majority of children were female (59%) and the average age was 9.50 years (SD = 1.04 years).
Most participants (92%) identified as the biological mother of the child; 44% were married or cohabitating and 36% were never married.
Limitations
The sample consisted primarily of Black and White dyads; the findings may not generalize to other ethnic groups.
The data are cross-sectional, and therefore causal conclusions are not appropriate.
Composite scores of parenting were used; subscale scores would allow for a more nuanced description of the findings.
Avenues for Future Research
Investigate parental characteristics associated with supportive parenting behaviors among military families
Examine how paternal emotional regulation influences child emotional regulation and coping
Examine the effectiveness of parenting programs offered to military families aimed at enhancing parental emotional regulation skills
Focus
Civilian
Target Population
Population Focus
Abstract
This study examined the link between maternal emotion regulation (ER) and emotion parenting behaviors and child ER, particularly emphasizing the previously understudied potential associations between mothers' ER and concurrent emotion parenting behaviors. Community-recruited participants included 64 mother-child (M = 9.5 years, 38 girls) dyads. Mothers completed measures on their own ER, their child's ER, and their emotion parenting strategies. Children completed measures on their ER and mother-child dyads engaged in a conflict discussion task that was coded using an ER behavioral observation scale. Results indicated that observed maternal ER was negatively associated with unsupportive emotion parenting, whereas self-reported maternal emotion dysregulation was positively associated with unsupportive parenting and child emotion dysregulation and negatively associated with child adaptive ER. Partial support was provided for the mediating role of emotion parenting behaviors on the link between maternal and child ER. Implications regarding parenting programs and intervention efforts are discussed.
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