The Socialization of Emotion through Negative Emotional Reminiscing with Children

This study investigates parents’ use of negative emotional reminiscing with young children and the socioemotional benefits for children’s development. Emotional reminiscing is a functional mechanism parents may use to socialize their children to appropriate emotional responses and expressions (Kulkofsky, 2010). Although parents may use both positive and negative emotional reminiscing with their children, there has been less research exploring parents’ use of negative emotional reminiscing. Fifty-eight children, 3.58 to 5.67 years of age, were recruited for the current study. Children completed three tasks: emotion recognition, emotional literacy, and verbal ability. Parents reported their attitudes toward and use of emotional reminiscing. Teachers completed an empathic responsiveness scale for each child. Results indicate that parents who think it is more important to reminisce with their children about negative emotional events engage in more negative emotional reminiscing with their children. Parents view it as significantly more important to and engage in significantly more reminiscing about positive emotional events than negative emotional events. The results of this study also suggest that parents who engage in more negative emotional reminiscing have children who are significantly more empathetic toward their peers.

Grantor dc:publisher

Wake Forest University

Year dc:date.issued

2016

Author dc:creator

• Bush, Caitlin Davis

• children

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10339/59279

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:wakespace.lib.wfu.edu:10339/59279