Korean mothers' intuitive theories regarding emotion socialization of their children

Abstract

This study aims at exploring Korean mothers’ beliefs on the development of emotion of their children. In specific, sensitivity and maternal reactions to their children’s both negative and positive emotion expressions were explored. Further, associations among maternal sensitivity, maternal reactions and child emotion regulation were examined. A total of 100 Korean mothers whose children were between 6 and 7 years old participated in the study. In order to assess mothers’ beliefs about sensitivity, vignettes in a forced-choice format were presented through individual interviews. Mothers’ self reported reactions to their children’s negative emotions and positive emotions and mothers’ perceptions of children’s emotion regulation were assessed using questionnaires. Results revealed that Korean mothers endorsed both proactive and reactive sensitivity. However, their sensitivity differed depending on the situation. Mothers tended to endorse either Emotion Focused or Problem Focused reactions to their children’s negative emotions. Mothers reported that they were most likely to restrict their child positive emotional expression with explanation in supportive way followed by invalidating through reprimanding it. Mothers’ reported Distress Reactions and Punitive Reactions to children’s expression of negative emotion were associated with children’s liability whereas Emotion-Focused Reaction and Problem-Focused Reaction were associated with children’s functional emotion regulation. The results are discussed within a theoretical framework of socialization of emotions.