Social Emotion Research Articles

Maternal Emotion Coaching and Child Emotion Regulation: Within-Interaction Sequences in Early Childhood

AbstractEmotion socialization is a dynamic transactional process that unfolds at the moment during parent-child interactions. To better understand these transactions (both parent-driven and child-driven) in early childhood, we conducted a lag-sequential analysis examining sequential contingency between maternal emotion coaching and child emotion regulation at ages 3 and 4 years. Mother-child dyads in the southeastern United States (N = 208 for age 3 timepoint [101 boys, 107 girls] and 227 for age 4 timepoint [115 boys, 112 girls]) participated in a laboratory etch-a-sketch task, which was videorecorded and later observationally coded for maternal coaching of both positive and negative emotions and for child emotion regulation (indexed as compliance, engagement, and low frustration) at 30-s intervals. At age 3, we found two reciprocal sequences: (1) When mothers coached positive emotions, children were subsequently more likely to show compliance, and when children complied, mothers were subsequently more likely to coach their positive emotions; (2) when mothers coached negative emotions, children were subsequently more likely to display frustration, and when children showed frustration, mothers were subsequently more likely to coach their negative emotions. At age 4, we only found parent-driven, positive emotion–related sequences: when mothers coached positive emotions, children were subsequently more likely to show compliance and engagement. Findings shed light on the distinct functions of positive and negative emotions as well as the intricacy of dynamic emotion socialization transactions in relation to child emotion regulation during early childhood.

Price Anchoring Effect’s Implications on Marketing with the 6-STEPPS Framework.

The anchoring effect is a psychological effect in which providing an external anchor value in a context can influence an individual’s perception of the actual value. In business and economics, this effect is transformed into the Price Anchoring effect where businesses attempt to use this psychological process to manipulate customer’s perception of appropriate and preferable prices for a product. A case study analyzed the financial implications of this effect, by posing external anchor values to experimental units, and then questioning them about the appropriate prices of a product, the experimenters found that the price anchoring effect can allow businesses to influence their consumer’s perceptions of appropriate pricing, thus implying increases profitability. The explanations to price anchoring effects vary, some of them relate to the 6-STEPPS principles of marketing, being Social Currency, Trigger, Emotions, Public, Practical Value, and Stories. By combining the uses of the 6-STEPPS principles and the price anchoring effect, businesses could also succeed in marketing.

Культурно-исторический подход к объяснению слуховых галлюцинаций: реорганизация диалогической внутренней речи и го́лоса

<p><strong>Research Significance.</strong> Contemporary science demonstrates increasing interest in the psychological understanding of auditory hallucinations as a transdiagnostic phenomenon. The significance of this research lies in the necessity to transcend the traditional perspective that views voices solely as symptoms of psychosis and to develop a comprehensive psychological framework. Reconceptualizing the mechanisms of hallucinatory experiences has become one of the paramount tasks in clinical psychology, considering their established links to traumatic experiences, social anxiety, and shame. Of particular importance is the development of a new understanding of the dissociative nature of voices through the lens of the cultural-historical approach, which opens avenues for creating non-stigmatizing and effective psychological interventions aimed at reorganizing inner speech and relationships with social positions embodied in «voices» that carry autobiographical significance. <strong>Purpose.</strong> This article introduces a psychological conceptualization of auditory hallucinations based on L.S. Vygotsky's cultural-historical approach, the relating approach, the theory of the dialogical self, and the cognitive model of psychosis. <strong>Results.</strong> Departing from the traditional perspective that views voices as perceptual anomalies specific to psychosis, the paper presents a scientific view of hallucinations as transdiagnostic phenomena associated with a loss of agency. These voices are contextualized within autobiographical narratives and adverse psychosocia experiences and observed in non-clinical populations. The discussion includes the integration of Vygotsky's theory and C. Fernyhough's concept of «re-expanded inner speech» to elucidate the voices mechanisms. Social interactions, as they are mediated through language, evolve into private and subsequently inner speech. Throughout development, these dialogical patterns become increasingly internalized and private. Under conditions of stress, inner speech can re-expand and become externalized, perceived as voices. A de-pathologizing framework for understanding voices (as proposed by M. Romme and S. Escher) and E. Longden's insights into hallucinations as dissociative phenomena enhance this conceptualization, offering non-stigmatizing pathways for psychological intervention. The paper underscores the importance of the sociocultural context and the significant role of social emotions in the genesis of hallucinations. <strong>Conclusion.</strong> This refined understanding shapes contemporary goals in psychological interventions, such as «Talking with Voices», AVATAR therapy, and Relating Therapy. These interventions aim to reorganize patterns of alienated dialogue with self-positions, develop assertive response skills, and achieve integration with the voices.</p>

Parental Reactions to Children’s Negative Emotions in France and the United States: Links to Preschoolers’ Socioemotional Outcomes

Parental reactions to children’s negative emotions (PRCNEs), a type of emotion socialization, has been theorized to shape children’s socioemotional development. Few studies have examined cultural variations in PRCNE among Western/Minority World cultures. The present study used a cross-cultural, preschool-based sample of 101 parent–child dyads (child age = 36–79 months, 42% females; parent age = 19–58 years, 89% mothers) from two countries: U.S. (n = 33, 58% White/European American, 87% with college or above education) and France (n = 68, 61% French or other European origin, 40% with college or above education). Parents self-reported PRCNEs across 12 hypothetical scenarios. Children’s behavioral problems and prosocial behaviors were rated by parents and preschool teachers. Children’s emotion knowledge was measured by a behavioral task. We examined (1) cultural group variations in PRCNEs, and (2) the relations between PRCNE and children’s socioemotional outcomes. Controlling for demographics, French parents endorsed more non-supportive PRCNE than U.S. parents. Across both cultures, parents’ higher use of distress and punitive reactions were linked to lower parent-rated child prosocial behaviors. These findings revealed differences and similarities in PRCNEs between French and U.S. families and have implications for early childhood education practices promoting socioemotional competence.

Reframe-IT+, an indicated preventive school-based intervention, reduces suicidal ideation among adolescents in vulnerable contexts in Chile.

Suicide prevention programs delivered in school settings have been shown to reduce suicide attempts and ideation among adolescents. School-based digital interventions targeting at-risk youth are a promising avenue for suicide prevention, and some evidence has shown that blending digital and face-to-face components may improve the effectiveness. However, further evidence is needed, especially in Latin America, where mental health support is limited. We tested the effectiveness of the Reframe-IT+, a blended cognitive behavioral indicated intervention to reduce suicidal ideation, designed to be delivered in school settings. It includes 13 sessions, combining eight internet-based sessions and five face-to-face sessions. We conducted a cluster RCT and delivered the Reframe-IT + among secondary students attending Years 9-11. We recruited 21 schools that were randomized into two groups: (1) Intervention Reframe-IT + Group (IG) (n = 863) and (2) Control Group (CG) (n = 683). All consented students completed online screening self-reported questionnaires at baseline. The primary outcome was suicidal ideation . Additionally, we tested the impact of the intervention on depressive and anxiety symptoms, hopelessness, and emotion regulatory strategies, including social solving-problems skills, behavioral activation, cognitive reappraisal, and emotion suppression. A total of 303 students (IG, n = 164; CG, n = 139) were identified as at risk and eligible for inclusion in the study. From those, 224 students (IG, n = 123; CG, n = 101) and their caregivers were interviewed to confirm inclusion and exclusion criteria. Finally, 48 and 47 students were allocated to control and intervention groups, respectively, and answered the online questionnaires at post-intervention. We performed an intention-to-treat analysis using repetitive measures and multilevel regression analyses. We found a significant reduction in suicidal ideation (b=-6.7, p = 0.015, Cohen´s d = 0.49), depressive (b=-3.1, p = 0.002, Cohen´s d = 0.81) and anxiety (b=-2.60, p < 0.001, Cohen´s d = 0.72) symptoms, and hopelessness (b=-3.7, p < 0.001, Cohen´s d = 0.70) in the intervention group compared to the control group at post-intervention. We also found improvement in solving-problems skills (b=-1.6, p = 0.002, Cohen´s d = 0.58), behavioral activation (b = 2.8, p = 0.019, Cohen´s d = 0.47), and cognitive reappraisal (b = 2.2, p = 0.029, Cohen´s d = 0.53). In the exploration of the intervention mechanisms concerning suicidal ideation, the total indirect effect of the intervention (b = -5.727923; p = 0.008) was significant, whereas the direct effect (b = - 0.03195473, p = 0.903) was not significant (Suppl 2, Table1). Problem-solving skill (b=-2.84, p = 0.016) was a significant mediator of intervention effects on suicidal ideation (Path a*b). This is the first clustered RCT evaluation of the effectiveness of a blended indicated intervention to prevent suicidality in school settings in Latin America. This is the first step to informing policymakers to scale up an effective intervention for an important public health problem. Clinical Trials NCT05229302. Registered on January 27th, 2022.

Adult neurogenesis in the ventral hippocampus decreased among animal models of neurodevelopmental disorders

IntroductionAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by deficits in social interaction and communication, along with restricted and repetitive behaviors. Both genetic and environmental factors contribute to ASD, with prenatal exposure to valproic acid (VPA) and nicotine being linked to increased risk. Impaired adult hippocampal neurogenesis, particularly in the ventral region, is thought to play a role in the social deficits observed in ASD.MethodsIn this study, we investigated social behavior and adult hippocampal neurogenesis in C57BL/6J mice prenatally exposed to VPA or nicotine, as well as in genetically modified ASD models, including IQSEC2 knockout (KO) and NLGN3-R451C knock-in (KI) mice. Sociability and social novelty preference were evaluated using a three-chamber social interaction test. Adult hippocampal neurogenesis was assessed by BrdU and DCX immunofluorescence to identify newborn and immature neurons.ResultsVPA-exposed mice displayed significant deficits in social interaction, while nicotine-exposed mice exhibited mild impairment in social novelty preference. Both IQSEC2 KO and NLGN3-R451C KI mice demonstrated reduced adult neurogenesis, particularly in the ventral hippocampus, a region associated with social behavior and emotion. Across all ASD mouse models, a significant reduction in BrdU+/NeuN+ cells in the ventral hippocampus was observed, while dorsal hippocampal neurogenesis remained relatively unaffected. Similar reductions in DCX-positive cells were identified in VPA, nicotine, and NLGN3-R451C KI mice, indicating impaired proliferation or differentiation of neuronal progenitors.DiscussionThese findings suggest that impaired adult neurogenesis in the ventral hippocampus is a common hallmark across ASD mouse models and may underlie social behavior deficits. This study provides insight into region-specific neurogenic alterations linked to ASD pathophysiology and highlights potential targets for therapeutic interventions.

OVERVIEW OF BUDGETARY SLACK GOVERNANCE -- BASED ON THE INFORMAL GOVERNANCE PERSPECTIVE

The existence of budgetary slack makes it difficult for budget management to play the expected function, and managers put their interests above the interests of the company through the implementation of budgetary slack behaviors, which allocates the company's budget resources unbalanced, increases the agency costs, and ultimately leads to a decline in the quality of the sustainable governance of the company. Scholars have conducted quite a lot of research on how to govern budgetary slack, aiming to find ways to effectively govern budgetary slack. Previous scholars have studied the governance of budgetary slack mainly from the perspective of formal governance, and the results are quite fruitful, but the problem of budgetary slack still exists and is getting worse. Few scholars have studied the governance of budgetary slack from the perspective of informal governance. This article argues that informal governance is a kind of implicit contract based on social relations and emotions, which is more capable of obtaining the unanimous recognition and common compliance of the whole company and may play an unexpected role in the governance of budgetary slack. Therefore, this article will use the literature review method to sort out the studies on informal governance and summarise the informal governance measures for governing budgetary slack, which is expected to provide valuable reference suggestions for company managers and business leaders.

The evolution mechanism of social emotions during the Covid-19 pandemic: an analysis based on big data from Twitter and GDELT

This paper focuses on the evolutionary mechanism of social emotions, such as panic, anxiety, and depression, during the COVID-19 pandemic by using big data from the internet, including Twitter and GDELT, and by incorporating factors related to risk communication and risk response in risk governance. The main negative emotions experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic include panic, anxiety, and depression. These negative emotions primarily erupted on a large scale during the initial phase of the first wave of the epidemic, whereas the fluctuations in negative emotions during subsequent resurgences were significantly smaller. This paper explains the evolution of panic and depression through analytical frameworks based on threat perception and coping efficacy, as well as social pressure and social support. The fluctuations in negative emotions around the world exhibit both similarities and diversities, which are closely related to the diversity of pandemic response models and cultural characteristics across different regions. The findings of this study have important implications for emergency management and the guidance of social mentality.

Navigating the emotional landscape: exploring caregivers’ journey alongside breast cancer survivors with chronic pain

PurposeCaregiving is a crucial but frequently overlooked part of cancer care, as well as the main emotions experienced by caregivers during that journey. This qualitative study aimed to explore the emotional landscape of informal caregivers in supporting breast cancer survivors (BCs) living with chronic pain (CP).MethodsWe conducted 3 focus groups with informal caregivers of BCs with CP. For the sentiment analysis, we used R Software and the NRC Emotion Lexicon following Plutchik’s theoretical framework of emotions. The emotion spectrum was visualized using the “PyPlutchik” package in Python.ResultsCaregivers (Mage = 43.17, SD = 10.97) predominantly experienced negative emotions (n = 65; M = 0.06, SD = 0.25) compared to positive ones (n = 37; M = 0.10, SD = 0.31), with sadness (n = 46), fear (n = 43), and disgust (n = 37) being most common, alongside feelings of remorse (n = 37), despair (n = 41), and shame (n = 37). The COVID-19 pandemic, as reported by caregivers, also intensified feelings of shame, frozenness, and ambivalence. Despite more frequent negative sentiments, trust (n = 53) and hope (n = 24) were consistently expressed, indicating a complex emotional landscape where positive and negative feelings coexist.DiscussionThis study identifies the broad spectrum of emotions experienced by caregivers in the context of BCs with CP, ranging from individualistic feelings (e.g., fear, despair) to social emotions (e.g., shame, frozenness), and even includes instances of positive emotions (e.g., trust, hope). While our study highlights the emotional toll on caregivers, we suggest that future research and interventions focus more on providing effective support frameworks to manage these emotional challenges. Any discussion regarding the specific impacts of these emotional experiences on clinical outcomes (e.g., quality of life, fear of cancer recurrence) should be approached with caution.

From Suffering to Salvation: Making Sense of Religious Experiences

ABSTRACT The diverse nature of religious and spiritual experiences (RSEs) eludes easy comparison or conceptualization. Here we explore the phenomenological, situational and conceptual principles that connect eighty-two diverse RSE reports from the Hardy Database (https://alisterhardytrust.uwtsd.ac.uk/). We tentatively suggest that in addition to being unexpectedly significant and imbued with social percepts, messages and emotions, a variety of diverse RSEs might share a temporal trajectory; namely, a sudden, unexpected or drastic shift from a negative to a positive cognitive-emotional state. This transition can reflect an actual sequence of unexpected and meaningful events, or the trajectory of an altered state of consciousness (ASC) catalyzed by stress, fatigue or other triggers that promote shifts in focus. The cognitive-emotional trajectory of RSEs maps onto the trajectory of psychedelic and certain psychotic-like experiences, and fits conceptually with religious notions of miracles, salvation and revelation.

Prevalence and predictors of parental distress at the communication of positivity at newborn screening for metabolic diseases: an Italian longitudinal study

BackgroundReceiving communication of positivity for metabolic diseases at Expanded Newborn Screening can be extremely stressful for parents, both in case of false positive and true positive cases. However, little is...

The relationship of neuroticism to individual differences in the dynamics of brain activity during social interactions

Social interactions in the context of cooperation and competition are the most important type of activity of people, determining their well-being and success in life. The neural bases of this activity, as well as the role of personality-related individual differences, are insufficiently studied. In particular, the literature lacks data on the relationship between neuroticism and individual differences in brain activity during cooperative and competitive interactions, and the aim of our work was to fill this gap. fMRI data were recorded during task performance in individual, cooperative, and competitive modes and analyzed using the inter-subject representative similarity analysis. The results indicate that in emotionally instable individuals, social interactions, in both cooperative and competitive contexts, are associated with greater strain, manifested in the activity of social brain, emotion regulation, and attentional centers. This can potentially lead to the accumulation of the effects of social stress and the emergence of symptoms of mental health problems.

Efficacy of aerobic exercise for HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders receiving ART: An RCT.

HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) affects an individual's capacity for independence and engagement in everyday activities, posing challenges in environments with limited resources and low social support. To ascertain the efficacy of exercise (AE) for activity and participation (AP) level in people with HAND. This is a randomised controlled trial that is parallel-group in nature, with intention-to-treat analysis and disguised allocation. Seventy-three people with HAND in total were randomised at random to the AE and control groups. Three 20-60-min sessions of moderate-intensity AE training on a cycle ergometer were included of the 12-week intervention. Individual tolerability served as the basis for progression. Three months after the intervention, at the conclusion of the intervention, and at the baseline, outcomes were measured. The AP constitutes the main outcome variable. To investigate the impact of AE on AP level, rank analysis of covariance was performed after log-transformation. When comparing the AE to the control group, there were significant increases in social wellbeing AP (Cohen d = 0.550; p = 0.021), emotion AP (Cohen d = 0.641; p = 0.007) and overall AP level (Cohen d = 0.896; p < 0.001). There was no discernible variation in AP across the groups three months following AE (Cohen d = 0.437; p = 0.067). AE induces a small increase in AP among individuals with HAND. For people with HAND, regular AE is a good way to manage AP restriction. Increasing AE participation may improve AP restriction.

The role of parental mentalizing on the link between parental depression and child emotion regulation.

Parental depression has consistently been shown to impact child's emotion regulation (ER), with limited research on risk and protective factors, especially in preschoolers. Grounded in Morris and colleagues' model of emotion socialization, this study addresses this gap by examining the mediating and moderating roles of parental mentalizing (reflective functioning). We aimed to explore whether pre-mentalizing modes mediate the link between parental depressive symptoms and the child's ER tendencies and whether parental interest and curiosity and parental certainty about mental states can buffer this link. The study sample included 732 parents (91% females) of children aged 3-7 years. To assess parental mentalizing, the Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire was used. Child ER skills were assessed with the Emotion Regulation Checklist, and depression was assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire. Findings demonstrated a negative link between parental depressive symptoms and children's ER skills, mediated by heightened parental pre-mentalizing modes. Contrary to expectations, parental interest and curiosity did not moderate this link, but parental certainty about mental states emerged as a protective factor, weakening the link between depressive symptoms and child ER skills. The results contribute to the understanding of ER development, particularly in the context of parental depressive symptoms, emphasizing parental mentalizing as a pivotal factor within this intricate dynamic.

PERAN ORANG TUA DALAM PENGEMBANGAN SOSIAL EMOSIONAL ANAK DI ERA SOCIETY 5.0

The Society 5.0 era is a concept of a human-centered and technology-based Society , where early childhood is also very close to technology, especially gadgets. This has more or less affected the social emotional development of early childhood. This study aims to determine the role of parents in the development of children's social emotional aspects in the Society 5.0 era and to determine the social emotional aspects of children in the Society 5.0 era using a qualitative descriptive approach to parents who have children aged 4-5 years. Data collection techniques with interviews and observations. The role of parents in the Society 5.0 era has a very influential role in children, differences in children's behavior were found when using technology and their social emotions in parents who play a direct role in children and parents who work and the social emotional aspects of children are currently influenced by the Society 5.0 era which makes children dependent on gadgets so that children are more comfortable alone with gadgets which has an impact on minimal interaction and socializing children with others. The role of parents is very influential in the social emotional development of early childhood, therefore the need for care and guidance for children.

The Words of (Non-)Humanity: Sexist Slurs Elicit Self-Dehumanization in Women

Derogatory labels increase dehumanization in bystanders; research however has yet to investigate whether the same applies to victims themselves. In three preregistered studies ( Ntotal = 1146), we predicted that women targeted with sexist slurs would dehumanize themselves. Participants imagined or recalled a situation in which a man addressed them with a generic insult, a sexist slur, or no insult. Then, we assessed self-dehumanization (primary and secondary emotions, perceptions of the self as an object or a person, and self-attributed warmth and competence) and meta-dehumanization (studies 2 and 3), namely the perception of the dehumanizing intentions of the speaker. Sexist slurs led participants to consider themselves as less human- and more object-like, and this effect was partially mediated by meta-dehumanization. Therefore, sexist slurs can affect women's self-perception by eliciting self-dehumanization, which negatively impacts women's wellbeing and life outcomes. Findings are discussed especially considering the debate around hate speech policing.

A Thematic Analysis of Low-Income African American Fathers’ Meta-Emotion Interview Responses

This study explored African American fathers’ beliefs about and experiences with their own and their children’s negative emotions. Participants included 58 African American fathers in the Midwestern region of the United States between the ages of 29 and 40 ( M age = 30.94). Participants completed the Meta-Emotion Interview, a semi-structured interview of parents’ and their children’s negative emotion. A theoretical thematic analysis of participants’ responses to a subset of Meta-Emotion Interview questions about sadness and anger was conducted. Five themes of African American fathers’ beliefs about and experiences with their own and their children’s negative emotions were interpreted: (1) responsibility for children’s emotions, (2) complex relationship with anger, (3) reckoning negative emotions, (4) children at the center, and (5) actively working through emotions. Taken together, these five themes demonstrate that African American fathers recognize the inherent value of negative emotions while navigating the potential harm these emotions may bring to self and others. Furthermore, the findings provide insight into the role of African American fathers in parental emotion socialization processes.

Parent self-compassion: direct effects on parent emotion socialization and indirect effects on adolescent emotion dysregulation

Parent self-compassion: direct effects on parent emotion socialization and indirect effects on adolescent emotion dysregulation

Development and psychometric evaluation of a new domain-specific coparenting measure: Coparenting Children's Emotion Scale.

Caregivers play an integral role in supporting children's development, not only through their individual parenting practices but also how they work together as coparents. The literature on coparenting is extensive; however, most of the research has relied on global measures to assess the quality and functioning of the coparenting relationship. Examining the coparenting relationship with domain-specific measures enables a deeper understanding of this complex family process. One domain of particular interest is emotion socialization given the vast and long-term consequences emotion socialization has on children's emotional, social, behavioral, and psychological functioning. Emotion socialization literature would benefit from a domain-specific coparenting measure, as researchers have rarely explored how coparents work together when responding to their children's emotions (i.e., coparenting children's emotions). As such, an emotion-focused coparenting measure could address gaps in both coparenting and emotion socialization literature. This study outlines the development and psychometric evaluation of a domain-specific measure of coparenting, the Coparenting Children's Emotion Scale (CCES), which assesses how parents work together when responding to their children's emotions. In the current study, the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the CCES were examined in an Australian sample. Findings from exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed that the CCES comprises two subscales that capture coparents' levels of support/cooperation and undermining. In the current sample, both CCES subscales demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency, and good convergent and concurrent validity. The CCES will provide researchers and practitioners with a domain-specific measure to use in exploratory and intervention research.

Age- and sex-related differences in social competence and emotion labeling in pre-adolescence.

Identification of facial expressions is important to navigate social interactions and associates with developmental outcomes. It is presumed that social competence, behavioral emotion labeling and neural emotional face processing are related, but this has rarely been studied. Here, we investigated these interrelations and their associations with age and sex, in the YOUth cohort (1055 children, 8-11 years old). Using a multistep linear modelling approach, we associated parent-reported social competence, basic emotion labeling skills based on pictures of facial expressions, and neural facial emotion processing during a passive-watching fMRI task with pictures of houses and emotional faces. Results showed better emotion labeling and higher social competence for girls compared to boys. Age was positively associated with emotion labeling skills and specific social competence subscales. These age- and sex-differences were not reflected in brain function. During fMRI, happy faces elicited more activity than neutral or fearful faces. However, we did not find evidence for the hypothesized links between social competence and behavioral emotion labeling, and with neural activity. To conclude, in pre-adolescents, social competence and emotion labeling varied with age and sex, while social competence, emotion labeling and neural processing of emotional faces were not associated with each other.