Socialization of Turkish Children's Emotions: Do Different Emotions Elicit Different Responses?

Abstract

This study addressed mothers' specific responses to children's expressions of sadness and anger. The first goal was to determine whether children's sadness and anger expressions elicited different maternal responses. The role of maternal education and child gender was also examined in sadness and anger socialization. Finally, the relations of sadness and anger socialization responses to children's adjustment were examined and the moderating role of children's emotionality in this relation was explored. Data on emotion socialization were obtained from 140 Turkish mothers of preschoolers based on their responses to hypothetical vignettes. Results showed that mothers were more likely to encourage the expression of sadness compared to anger. More educated mothers were less likely to punish and minimize their children's sadness but reported higher distress responses than less educated mothers. Sadness and anger socialization did not differ by child gender. Finally, low levels of emotional support to child anger were related to aggressive behaviors, but only among children with high emotional dysregulation.