Parents' Responses to the Emotional Distress of Their Children: Relations With Children's Competence

William Roberts, Janet Strayer

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

148 Scopus citations

Abstract

Although investigators have proposed in various theories that the socialization of emotions has important implications for children's general competence, very little empirical data exist. In the present study, parents' responses to the emotional distress of their preschool children were examined in the context of more general dimensions of parenting (warmth and control), and the relation of these responses to children's competence was assessed. Data on parent-child interactions were collected for 30 families, using home observations, parent self-reports, observer ratings, and child interviews. Children's competence in preschool was assessed by teacher ratings. Effective, situationally appropriate action was the most frequently observed parental response to children's upset, and children's attributions to parents of such pragmatic responses was positively related to their competence in preschool. Parental encouragement of emotional expressiveness was also positively associated with child competence. Variables assessing positive responses to upset, although related to warmth (as expected), also contributed independently to children's competence. © 1987 American Psychological Association.
Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)415-422
Number of pages8
JournalDevelopmental Psychology
Volume23
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 1987
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Generated from Scopus record by KAUST IRTS on 2023-09-20

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Demography
  • Life-span and Life-course Studies
  • Developmental and Educational Psychology

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