Child and Adolescent Emotion Regulation: The Role of Parental Emotion Regulation and Expression

This paper reviews current literature relating to parent and child emotional functioning, specifically their emotion regulatory
skills and emotional expression. Included are considerations regarding theoretical, methodological, and sampling strengths
and weaknesses of existing literature. On the basis of the review, several directions for future research are proposed. First,
it is argued that consistency in the measurement of emotion regulation is necessary, including assessment of more refined
theoretical conceptualizations of regulatory types, skills, or strategies. Second, it is argued that emotion regulation developmental
research examining the post-early childhood period is necessary in order to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding
of youths’ emotion regulation. Finally, it is argued that greater examination of paternal influences on child emotional functioning,
in addition to maternal influences, is required. Consideration of these issues in future emotion regulation research will
ideally contribute to a greater understanding of the mechanisms involved in child and adolescent development of optimal regulatory
capacities.