Doctorate in Clinical Psychology: Main Research Portfolio

: 1) Parental Socialization of Positive Emotion in Childhood Anxiety Disorders: A Theoretical Review; 2) Psychological interventions offered to clients referred to crisis teams: An audit of practice of Bath and Bristol crisis resolution teams; 3) Parent socialization of emotions and anxiety in young children.

Abstract

Parental socialization of positive and negative emotions has been linked to childhood psychopathology. Few studies have looked at the relationship between childhood anxiety and parental socialization of both positive and negative emotions, and no studies have examined the relationship between parent socialization of positive emotion and anxiety symptoms in the preschool age population. The current study examined parental socialization of positive and negative emotion and whether it was related to preschool aged children’s anxiety. Sixty-five parents of children aged between 3.5-6 years (51% girls) in a community sample were recruited through social media and personal contacts. Parents completed questionnaires assessing their socialization of children’s positive and negative emotions, child anxiety symptoms and parent emotional distress. Parents also completed the parental meta-emotion philosophy interview by telephone. No significant relationship between childhood anxiety and parent socialization of children’s positive and negative emotions was found. Parental anxiety was significantly related to increased child anxiety symptoms. Results of this study indicate that parental responses to children’s displays of positive and negative emotions were unrelated to childhood anxiety in a high-functioning community sample of preschool-aged children. Parents’ own metaemotion philosophy was also not significantly related to child anxiety symptoms. Limitations of the current study, implications for parenting interventions and directions for future research are discussed.

Date of Award	10 Oct 2022
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bath
Supervisor	Jennifer Allen (Supervisor)