An Examination of Emotion Socialization Dynamics in Mother-Daughter Dyads using
Grid-Sequence AnalysisJessica P. Lougheed1, Miriam Brinberg2,
Nilam Ram2, & Tom Hollenstein3
1Purdue University, 2The Pennsylvania State University, 3Queen’s University
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Emotion Socialization Dynamics
• Emotion socialization: the process by which primary caregivers directly or indirectly teach children about the appropriate expression and control of emotions
• Emotion socialization plays a role in children’s and adolescents’ developing psychosocial adjustment
• Emotion socialization is a dynamic process and bi-directional
2Eisenberg et al., 1998; Fussner et al., 2014; Katz et al., 2014
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Emotion Socialization in Adolescence
• Adolescent development: new emotional experiences, changing parent-adolescent relationships
• Emotion socialization may become more bi-directional, with adolescents becoming increasingly able to effect change in their parents’ emotions
• A small number of studies have “zoomed in” on dynamics of unfolding parent-adolescent interactions
Klimes-Dougan et al., 2007; Main et al., 2016; Moed et al., 2015; Smetana et al., 2006; van Bommel et al., in press
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• Examined complex, multistep sequences in parent-adolescent interactions in five different emotion contexts using grid-sequence analysis
• Research question 1: Are there interdyad differences in patterns of mother-daughter emotion expressions in each interpersonal emotion context?
• Research question 2: Are interdyad differences in emotion patterns associated with mothers’ and daughters’ psychosocial adjustment (symptoms of depression, anxiety, and social anxiety)?
The Current Study
Brinberg et al., 2017; 2018; Eisenberg et al., 1998
Participants • 96 mother-daughter dyads• Typically-developing community sample• Adolescents aged 13-16 years old
Procedure• Lab visit• Emotional Rollercoaster task: Five 3-minute discussions, ABABA
design
Design
Happy/ Excited
Worried/ Sad
Proud Frustrated/ Annoyed
Grateful
5Lougheed & Hollenstein, 2016
Psychosocial Adjustment• Depression, General Anxiety, Social Anxiety
Expressed Emotions• Coding with five-code SPAFF
Measures
Code ExpressionsExternalizing Negative Emotions Anger, ContemptInternalizing Negative Emotions Sadness, WorryNeutral Expressions neither negative
nor positiveInterest/ Curiosity Active interest, validationPositive Emotions Humor, Joy, Affection
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Data Preparation: Dyadic time series to state space grid
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ID Time Discussion Daughter Mother
3 0 Happy/ Excited Neutral Neutral
3 1 Happy/ Excited Neutral Neutral
3 2 Happy/ Excited Neutral Neutral
3 3 Happy/ Excited Neutral Neutral3 4 Happy/ Excited Neutral Neutral
3 5 Happy/ Excited Neutral NeutralD
augh
ter
Mother
Positive
Interest
Neutral
Internalizing
Externalizing
Externalizing Internalizing Neutral Interest Positive
… OM MN C E
Mother
A B C D E
F
K
P
U
G H I
L M N
J
O
T
Y
Q
V W X
R S
Daug
hter
Exte
rnal
izing
Inte
rnal
izing
Neut
ral
Inte
rest
Posit
ive
Externalizing Internalizing Neutral Interest Positive
C E C E C E
C E C M O M
R U RM O M
Sequence 1
Sequence 2
Sequence 3
LCS12 = 3
LCS23 = 3
LCS13 = 0
A
B
C
Method:(A) Grids (one per dyad per
discussion)(B) Each grid unfolded into a
sequence (wide data set, one row per dyad)
(C)Distances between sequences calculated
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Data Preparation: Grids to sequences
Brinberg et al., 2017; 2018
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Data Analysis: Interdyad differences in dyadic sequences
Time within discussions
Multidimensional scaling• Data reduction method used to identify primary dimensions along which
sequences differ• Identified two dimensions in each discussion• Identified subsequences (i.e., multistep dyadic expressions) that best
discriminated dyadic patterns at high and low end of each dimension
de Leeuw & Mair, 2009; Hout et al., 2013
Results: Research Question 1
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Interdyad Differences in Emotion Patterns: Description of Sequence Dimensions Dimension Most discriminating subsequence
Discussion 1 (Happy/ Excited)(1) Mother regulating mutual positive
to daughter regulating positive(E>C)-(E>C)-(C>M)-(M>C)
(2) Mother regulating positive (M)-(M>O)-(O>M)-(O>M)-(O>M)Discussion 2 (Worried/ Sad)
(1) Daughter down-regulating mutual positive
(E>O)
(2) Daughter regulating positive (C>M)-(M>C)-(M>C)
Are there interdyad differences in sequences?
Results• Research question 2: Are interdyad differences in emotion
patterns associated with mothers’ and daughters’ psychosocial adjustment (symptoms of depression, anxiety, and social anxiety)?
• Linear regressions predicting internalizing symptoms from dyadic dimensions, controlling for sequence entropy
• Entropy: predictability of each dyadic sequence; most common metric of sequence characteristics
11Gabadinho et al., 2011; Hollenstein, 2013
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Results for Linear Regressions Examining Relation Between Symptoms and Interdyad Differences in Mother-Daughter Sequences in Discussion 1 (Happy/Excited)
DaughterDepression
B (SE)Anxiety B (SE)
Social Anxiety B (SE)
Intercept -0.45 (0.55) -0.85 (0.44) 0.97* (0.23)Entropy -0.96 (1.67) 0.30 (1.34) -0.13 (0.69)Mother regulating mutual positive to daughter regulating positive(E>C)-(E>C)-(C>M)-(M>C)
-0.02 (0.27) -0.35 (0.22) -0.02 (0.11)
Mother regulating positive (M)-(M>O)-(O>M)-(O>M)-(O>M)
0.42* (0.21) 0.12 (0.17) 0.23* (0.09)
Note. * p < 0.05.
Results: Research Question 2
Are interdyad differences in sequences associated with internalizing symptoms?
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Results for Linear Regressions Examining Relation Between Symptoms and Interdyad Differences in Mother-Daughter Sequences in Discussion 2 (Worried/ Sad)
DaughterDepression
B (SE)Anxiety B (SE)
Social Anxiety B (SE)
Intercept -0.76 (0.39) -0.57 (0.32) 0.79* (0.16)Entropy 0.00 (1.45) -0.70 (1.17) 0.52 (0.59)Daughter down-regulating mutual positive(E>O)
-0.03 (0.26) 0.02 (0.21) -0.11 (0.11)
Daughter regulating positive(C>M)-(M>C)-(M>C)
-0.34 (0.28) -0.15 (0.22) -0.29* (0.11)
Note. * p < 0.05.
Results: Research Question 2
Are interdyad differences in sequences associated with internalizing symptoms?
Discussion• We conceptualized emotion
socialization as a bidirectional process in terms of multi-step sequences of expressed emotions
• We identified interdyad differences in these patterns in different emotion contexts; pertained to positive and neutral emotions (not negative)
• These interdyad differences may be related to psychosocial adjustment
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Limitations and Future Directions• Homogenous sample
• What about… • Gender differences? • Age differences? • Clinical samples?
• Age-related changes in who leads and who follows in dyadic patterns?
• Use multiple burst designs
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Grant 386479-2011 from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada held by Tom Hollenstein
Thank [email protected]
@jp_lougheed
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