{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: Up you get: Norwegian parents' reactions to children's negative emotions.
{Author}: Bjørk RF;Havighurst SS;Fredriksen E;Bølstad E;
{Journal}: Scand J Psychol
{Volume}: 0
{Issue}: 0
{Year}: 2024 Jul 1
{Factor}: 2.312
{DOI}: 10.1111/sjop.13051
{Abstract}: <B>BACKGROUND: </B>Developmental research suggests that children learn to regulate their emotions and behavior through a process of emotion socialization. The main body of literature is based on samples from the United States, and very little is known about the socialization of emotions in Nordic settings.<BR><B>OBJECTIVE: </B>The current study aimed to explore associations between mothers' and fathers' reactions to children's negative emotions and externalizing behavior problems in a Nordic cultural context, and to explore gender differences in these associations.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>Parent-report data on the Coping with Children's Negative Emotions Scale (CCNES) and the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory 6 (ECBI) was collected in a large sample of Norwegian preschool-aged children (mothers, n = 242; fathers, n = 183; N = 257; M = 54 months, SD = 4.54; 49% boys). Teacher-report data was collected using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) conduct scale (n = 117).<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>Both parents' supportive and non-supportive reactions were associated with child externalizing difficulties in expected directions as evidenced by path models, controlling for socioeconomic status and age. A pattern emerged in which non-supportive reactions to a greater extent predicted an increase in externalizing problems in girls, and supportive reactions predicted lower levels of externalizing problems in boys.<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>Our findings supported the basic assumptions of emotion socialization theory in a Nordic cultural context in which parental supportive and non-supportive responses are related to child externalizing difficulties. Nordic parents are important socialization agents for their children, but their behaviors had a differential effect on boys' and girls' externalizing behavior problems.