Profiles of Emotion Socialization Across Development and Longitudinal Associations with Youth Psychopathology

Abstract

Although there is relative consensus in the literature regarding associations between certain emotion socialization (ES) strategies and youth behavioral health, there is very limited research from a person-centered perspective. To address this gap, the current study examined patterns of ES strategies in families and explored predictors and youth outcomes associated with those patterns. An economically-diverse sample of 229 predominately White mothers and fathers of youth aged 3-12 years was recruited online for a longitudinal study. Latent profile analysis was used to determine the optimal number of family clusters with similar ES profiles. Model fit supported a four-class model, which consisted of an Emotion Coaching profile, characterized by the lowest levels of putatively labeled unsupportive ES practices and the highest levels of putatively labeled supportive ES practices, a Moderate profile characterized by moderate levels of both unsupportive and supportive ES practices, a Limited Engagement profile characterized by low levels of both unsupportive and supportive ES practices, and an Emotion Dismissing profile characterized by the highest levels of unsupportive ES practices and the lowest levels of supportive ES practices. Cross-sectional and longitudinal differences were observed across the ES profiles with regard to demographic and parent emotional competence predictors and youth outcomes. The current study extends the literature on ES by providing evidence on how distinct ES profiles differentially predict youth behavioral health outcomes. Findings also underscore the importance of examining parent emotional competence as a catalyst for adaptive change in the family system.

Latent Profile Analysis of Parent Emotion Socialization

“…Findings from previous person-centered analyses provide empirical support to the conceptualization of emotion socialization in terms of distinct parenting profiles (Buhler-Wassmann et al, 2021;McKee et al, 2021;Sosa-Hernandez et al, 2020;Trevethan et al, 2021;Wang et al, 2019;Zhu and Dunsmore, 2022). However, the majority of studies have examined how only one element of emotion socialization contributes to parents' profiles of emotion socialization.…”

“…Within the past five years, there has been an increase in studies applying a person-centered approach to parent emotion socialization (Wang et al (2019) Zhu and Dunsmore (2022). The majority of studies have conducted a latent profile analysis, with a small number of known studies utilizing a cluster analysis (Zhu andDunsmore, 2022, Howe andZimmer-Gembeck, 2022) Almost all previous studies extracted at least an emotion coaching profile, and/or emotion dismissing profile, thus provide empirical support for supportive/emotion coaching and unsupportive/emotion dismissing subgroups of parents (Sosa-Hernandez et al, 2020, Wang et al, 2019, McKee et al, 2021, Buhler-Wassmann et al, 2021, Howe and Zimmer-Gembeck, 2022, Zhu and Dunsmore, 2022. Furthermore, all studies extracted at least two profiles that do not align with emotion coaching or emotion dismissing parenting, which suggests that a binary classification may be insufficient to capture the heterogeneous patterns of parents' emotion socialization (Sosa-Hernandez et al, 2020, Wang et al, 2019, McKee et al, 2021, Buhler-Wassmann et al, 2021, Trevethan et al, 2021, Zhu and Dunsmore, 2022.…”

“…There are a number of limitations of previous person-centered emotion socialization studies that need to be considered. First, the majority of these studies focused solely on one element of parents' emotion socialization (i.e., emotion-related parenting practices) (Sosa-Hernandez et al, 2020, Wang et al, 2019, McKee et al, 2021, Zhu and Dunsmore, 2022, Trevethan et al, 2021. One known study has included an assessment of parents' beliefs about emotions, and parents' emotion expression, although, this study did not include fathers (Buhler-Wassmann et al, 2021).…”

“…To assess reliability of the profiles, we will examine stability of the profiles across (1) parents of children in early versus middle childhood, and (2) fathers versus mothers, via measurement invariance testing. Emotion socialization is thought to be dynamic in nature, changing according to child developmental periods (McKee et al, 2021, Mirabile et al, 2016, van der Pol et al, 2015. Further, strong research evidence suggests that gender influences parent emotion socialization (Cassano et al, 2007;McKee et al, 2021;Nelson et al, 2009).…”

“…Emotion socialization is thought to be dynamic in nature, changing according to child developmental periods (McKee et al, 2021, Mirabile et al, 2016, van der Pol et al, 2015. Further, strong research evidence suggests that gender influences parent emotion socialization (Cassano et al, 2007;McKee et al, 2021;Nelson et al, 2009). To test construct validity of the profiles, we will examine associations between the profiles and constructs that are theorized to influence parent emotion socialization, i.e., parent gender, familial/parent socio-economic status, parents' levels of stress, interparental conflict; and P r e p r i n t theoretically similar constructs, i.e., the family emotional climate, parenting warmth and irritability.…”