Sex differences in toddlers’ negative attributions to challenges: Associations with maternal emotion coaching and emotional awareness

Abstract

Children's attributions during challenge have roots in toddlerhood with the onset of self‐evaluative emotions and may reflect sex differences in early socialization practices. This study examined toddler sex as moderating associations between mothers’ (n = 104, 73.1% White, 75% with a college degree or more) characteristics (low emotional awareness, emotion coaching beliefs) and toddlers’ (Mage = 26.4 mos.; 51 girls) self‐evaluative negative attributions of difficulty during a challenging lab task. Negative attributions reflected self‐directed comments such as “I can't do it.” Girls made more negative self‐attributions in the context of mothers’ lower emotional awareness whereas boys made more negative self‐attributions in the context of mothers’ greater emotion coaching (medium effects). Results demonstrate early sex differences in toddlers’ negative self‐attributions to challenge.

White and Black parents’ emotion coaching beliefs: Differential associations with preschooler’s behavioral problem tendencies.

“…Children, especially around ages 2–3, are highly susceptible to parental emotion-related beliefs and socialization practices as they gain emotional knowledge and regulatory skills (Hastings & De, 2008; Perkins et al, 2022). Among 3- to 4-year-old preschoolers, Black parents may use different emotion socialization strategies in the context of the racism they experience, and these strategies are associated with diverging levels of behavioral problems and self-regulation among their children (Caughy et al, 2004; Dunbar, Lozada, et al, 2022; Hooper et al, 2018).…”