The Relationships Between Parental Beliefs About Children's Emotions, and Children's Perceptions and Behavior

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Date

2007-05-18

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Abstract

The purpose of the current research was to investigate how parents' beliefs about children's emotions are related to children's outcomes. There were three specific aims of the current research: 1) assess the direct relationship between parents' beliefs about children's emotions and children's engagement during a problem solving discussion, 2) assess the direct relationships between parents' beliefs about children's emotions and children's security in the parent-child relationship and children's perceptions of their parents emotional availability as well as the moderating effect of parents' stress on this relatinship, and 3) explore the moderating and mediating relationships between parents' beliefs about children's emotions, children's perceptions of the parent-child relationship, and children's engagement behavior during a problem solving discussion with their parent. Participants were African American (n = 41), European American (n = 4), and Lumbee Native American (n = 38) parents and their 4th or 5th grade children. Contrary to hypotheses, parents' beliefs did not directly relate to children's engagement or children's perceptions of the parent-child relationship. Howerver, parents' stress in the last 24 hours moderated the relationship between parents' beliefs and children's perceptions of their attachment security. The relationship between parents' beliefs that negative emotions are good and children's engagement was moderated by children's security in the parent-child relationship. In addition, parents' reported daily stress from the last 24 hours was related to children's engagement during the problem solving discussion.

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Keywords

Emotion, parents' beliefs, parent-child relationship, conflict discussion

Citation

Degree

MS

Discipline

Psychology

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