Parental Socialization of Positive Affect and Depressive Symptoms Among Adolescents: The Moderating Role of Race/Ethnicity

• In Event: Parent Positive Affect Socialization Responses Vary Across Cultural Identities and Contexts

Abstract

Parents play an important role in teaching their child how to regulate emotion (Morris et al., 2007). Although research has found links between maternal emotion socialization, positive affect (PA) regulation, and psychopathology among adolescents (Yi et al., 2016), it is important to explore the racial-ethnic influences on emotion socialization and its impact on adolescent functioning due to variation in cultural values regarding emotion (Matsumoto, 1991). Building on a recent study indicating that parent socialization of PA varied by race/ethnicity in adolescents (Reaume et al., 2022), we investigated racial-ethnic differences in adolescents’ perception of parental responses to PA, and whether associations between parent socialization and teen depressive symptoms varied by race/ethnicity. Based on Reaume and colleagues (2022), we expected minoritized adolescents to report greater parental unsupportive responses (punish, neglect, override) and less parental supportive responses (reward, magnify) than white adolescents. Because research indicated that similar parenting behaviors may have different implications by cultural group (Dotterer et al., 2012), we explored if race/ethnicity moderates the relationship between parental PA socialization and depressive symptoms among adolescents.
The sample, 284 adolescents (Mage= 15.12, SD= .49; 16.55% racially minoritized adolescents) from the Appalachian area, completed surveys on demographic information (e.g., gender), perceived parental emotional socialization practices, which includes 5 dimensions of strategies that either encourage (reward, magnify) or discourage (punish, override, neglect) PA (adapted EAC2; Garside & Klimes-Dougan, 2002) at Time 1. Adolescents reported on depressive symptoms (CDI-II; Kovacs, 2015) at both Time 1 and Time 2 (6 months later).
Results of two MANOVAs indicated that parental emotion socialization of PA varied by racial-ethnic group. Univariate tests showed significant differences for maternal PA socialization practices of neglect and punishment, wherein minoritized adolescents reported greater levels of neglect and punishment than white adolescents. For fathers, significant differences were found only for punishment, with minoritized adolescents reporting greater punishment than white adolescents (see Figure 1). Moderation analyses (conducted using Process; Hayes, 2013) indicated that interactions between ethnicity and several supportive parental emotional socialization practices were significantly related to depressive symptoms for minoritized adolescents but not white adolescents. For minoritized adolescents, greater mother and father reward of PA, and greater father magnifying PA predicted fewer depressive symptoms 6 months later. However, for white adolescents, those supportive parental responses did not predict depressive symptoms (see Figure 2).
Consistent with Reaume et al. (2022) minoritized adolescents report parents punish and mothers neglect their expressions of PA more than white parents. Yet, these nonsupportive socialization practices did not appear differentially impactful on minoritized vs. white adolescents’ mental health. However, our results indicated that greater support of positive emotions by mother- and father-figures, and paternal responses of magnifying PA predicted less depressive symptoms for minoritized adolescents but not for white adolescents six months later, suggesting that minoritized adolescents may particularly benefit from parents who mirror or reward their own happiness. Overall, this study provides new evidence about race/ethnicity, highlights the significance of parental socialization of PA, and can inform culturally-sensitive prevention efforts to promote adaptive functioning in minoritized adolescents.

Authors

• Yeawon Park, West Virginia University
  Presenting Author

• Tyia Wilson, University of Pittsburgh

• Avneet Batra

• Elizabeth Wright

• Amy Elizabeth Kennedy Root, West Virginia University

• Amy L Gentzler, West Virginia University