Intergenerational Emotional Flourishing: Conceptualizing the Continuity of Positive Emotion Socilization Strategies Across Generations

Abstract

Emotion socialization (ES; i.e., strategies that minimize, dismiss, magnify, or reward emotions) is influenced by parents’ own understanding and expression of emotions—factors that are shaped by their socialization history (i.e., strategies used by their parents). The present discussion first summarizes parental ES strategies and discusses how these strategies differ between the socialization of negatively valenced and positively valenced emotions. Next, we review extant research on the intergenerational continuity of parenting practices in general, which focuses on maltreatment. We expand on this literature by highlighting the importance of considering the intergenerational continuity of ES strategies for positively valenced emotions (i.e., emotions that feel good to experience; e.g., pride, joy) and identify two mechanism that may play a role in the transmission of ES strategies pertaining to positively valenced emotions across generations: (1) parental expressivity of positively valenced emotions; and (2) children’s emotion schemas that are shaped by parental expressivity and, in turn, serve to inform children’s use of similar ES strategies with their own children down the line. A shift in focus from negatively valenced to positively valenced emotions in the area of intergenerational continuity may support family functioning and flourishing across generations.  

Keywords— Emotion Socialization, Parenting, Positively Valenced Emotions, Parental Expressivity, Schemas, Emotional Flourishing