Parental Self-Regulation and Engagement in Emotion Socialization: A Systematic Review

Parental emotion-related socialization behaviors (ERSBs)-including reactions to emotions, emotional expressiveness, and emotion-related discussion-can foster or hinder children and adolescents' self-regulation development. Toward a goal of identifying specific mechanisms by which children and adolescents develop skillful, adaptive self-regulation or, conversely, self-regulation difficulties and psychopathology, it is crucial to identify processes that shape and maintain parental engagement in ERSBs. This present study is a systematic review of the associations between parental self-regulation and three different ERSBs (reactions to emotions, emotional expressiveness, and emotion-related discussion), building upon research that posits parental top-down self-regulation (i.e., emotion regulation, executive function, and effortful control) is critical for parenting behavior. Fifty-three studies were identified for inclusion. All but four of these studies were cross-sectional, limiting conclusions that could be drawn regarding whether parental self-regulation is associated with ERSBs over time. Studies used a wide range of methods (e.g., self-report, physiological assessment, observer ratings) to assess both parental self-regulation and ERSBs, rendering a meta-analysis premature. Across studies included in the review, parental self-regulation was positively associated with supportive ERSBs and negatively associated with unsupportive ERSBs. Future directions for research and implications for translational efforts are discussed.