Longitudinal Association between Child Emotion Regulation and Aggression, and the Role of Parenting: A Comparison of Three Cultures

Abstract

Background: The ability to regulate emotions is a key developmental achievement acquired during social interactions and associated with better behavioral and social outcomes. We examined the influence of culture on child emotion regulation (ER) and aggression and on early parenting practices, and the role of parenting in child ER. Methods: We assessed 48 mother-infant dyads from three cultures (1 UK, 2 South African) at infant age of 3 months for maternal sensitivity during face-to-face interactions and responses to infant distress during daily life, and at 2 years for child ER strategies and maternally reported aggression. Results: There were cultural differences in child ER, and these were associated with differences in levels of aggression. Maternal strategies in response to early infant distress also differed by culture and predicted later child ER. Maternal sensitivity during face-to-face interactions was not associated with culture and showed no clear relationship with child ER. Conclusion: Cultural differences in maternal responses to infant distress mediated differences in child ER that are, in turn, related to differences in child aggression.

Parental Socialization, Social Anxiety, and School Victimization: A Mediation Model

“…In this sense, recent research confirms the positive role played by parental acceptance and affection in the social adjustment of their children [35]. In contrast, it has been observed that parental styles characterized by excessive behavioral and psychological control [36,37], as well as the absence of support and affection, tend to be associated with emotional and behavioral problems in children [38,39]. In addition, some authors have highlighted that a lack of parental support and affection is a major risk factor for girls [40]; however, other authors have observed the opposite [41].…”

“…On the other hand, some studies in scientific literature have also explored the relationship between social anxiety and parental socialization. According to these studies, excessive behavioral and psychological control [36,37], as well as the absence of support and affection, increase the likelihood of experiencing social anxiety [42,43].…”

Parenting practices and adolescent social anxiety: A direct or indirect relationship?

“…These factors have revealed a close relationship with both social anxiety (Caballo, Salazar, & CISO-A research team in Spain, 2018; Gómez-Ortiz et al, 2018, Jazaieri et al, 2015, Kivity and Huppert, 2018, Van Tuijl et al, 2014Van Tuijl et al, (2014)) and parental educational styles (García et al, 2018, Turpyn et al, 2015). In fact, these variables seem to play a mediating role in explaining various problems of psychosocial adjustment in children and adolescents, such as depression, anxiety or aggression, and seem to be a result of parental styles which condition the adjustment indicators evaluated (Bozicevic et al, 2016, Wouters et al, 2018). However, the role this pathway of influence plays in adolescent social anxiety has not been tested.…”

“…H2: We expect that an indirect relationship can be established between maternal and paternal educational practices and adolescent social anxiety, which is mediated through negative self-esteem and emotional suppression. A considerable body of research, focused on the study of depression, general anxiety or aggression, supports the existence of such a pathway of influence (Bozicevic et al, 2016, Wouters et al, 2018), although it has not been tested in relation to social anxiety. We expect that affect and communication, the promotion of autonomy and humour are all negatively associated with the mediating variables and that parental psychological control is positively related to them.…”

Emotion Norms, Display Rules, and Regulation in the Akan Society of Ghana: An Exploration Using Proverbs

“…Of the relatively few studies in this area that included African countries, there are some suggestions that African settings may promote unique emotion regulation strategies and patterns. Bozicevic et al (2016) found cultural differences in emotion regulation between samples of United Kingdom, White South African, and Black South African children, and in maternal responses to infant distress. In contrast, Kliewer et al (2017) found that similar to research done elsewhere in the world, poverty was significantly associated with emotion dysregulation in South African youth.…”