1. Objectifs

Intentions :
« Objectives for this study were to: (1) examine how maternal childhood histories of aggression and/or social withdrawal are associated with children’s emotion behaviours, specifically cues to emotion and dimensions of emotion regulation; (2) determine how mothers with histories of socially deviant behavior displayed emotion socialization behaviours (i.e., positive and negative cues to emotion), and how these may be associated with their children’s emotion behaviours; and (3) examine the relationship between child emotion behaviours and the development of prosocial skills (empathy, assertiveness, and self-control). » (p. 9)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
49 mothers and their children (23 boys and 26 girls)

Instruments :
Interviews, questionnaires, naturalistic observations over one home visit and two school visits

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

« Aspects of emotional competence, defined as ''emotion behaviours'', have a profound impact on children’s social functioning, particularly on the development of prosocial behaviours. The mother-child relationship provides a significant context in which to understand how emotion behaviours are expressed and regulated. The present study examined the contribution of maternal childhood histories of aggression and/or social withdrawal to the prediction of child emotion behaviours, maternal expressions of emotion, and the development of children’s prosocial skills. [...] Results partially supported the hypotheses that maternal childhood histories of aggression and/or withdrawal contribute to the prediction of children’s emotion behaviours, specifically dimensions of emotion regulation. Furthermore, results suggest that mothers may socialize children’s dimensions of emotion regulation via their own emotion behaviours. Finally, children’s emotion behaviours predicted specific prosocial skills (empathy, assertiveness, and self-control). Taken together, findings contribute to the current literature, highlighting the importance of examining emotion behaviours and their impact on children’s prosocial skills. The influence of maternal risk status and socialization (via emotional expressions) on children’s emotion behaviours is also underscored. » (p. ii-iii)