The Relation of Parental Emotionality and Related Dispositional Traits to Parental Expression of Emotion and Childrens Social Functioning

The purpose of this study was to test relations between parental temperamental emotionality and regulation or related personality characteristics and parental behavior, childrenʹs regulation, and childrenʹs social functioning. Mothers and fathers reported on their own personality and/or temperament and expressivity in the family (mothers only); parents and teachers rated children (71 girls and 99 boys; M age = 73 months) on their temperamental regulation, social competence, and problem behavior. Mothers also were observed interacting with their child, and behavioral measures of childrenʹs regulation were obtained. In general, high parental regulation and low negative emotionality were associated with positive developmental outcomes in children and more positive parental behaviors, and mothersʹ expression of positive emotion in the family mediated some of the relations of their dispositions to childrenʹs socioemotional functioning.