Parental emotion socialization of adolescents: Creation and validation of a multi-method measure

Abstract

In the extant literature, parental emotion socialization has been measured using parent, youth, and observer reports. However, a triangulated measure combining these approaches has not been established. The purpose of this study was to create and validate a multimethod-multiinformant measure of emotion socialization using a predominantly high-risk sample of 206 families with adolescents. First, an observational measure was created for this project. A correlated-uniqueness approach was utilized to combine the measures and reduce any error based on reporter. Some evidence for validity of the triangulated measure was found. In addition, findings suggest that the structure of the parental emotion socialization factors differ based on the specific emotion felt by the youth. This investigation provides preliminary evidence for a triangulated measure of emotion socialization. Further, this investigation has implications for interventionists and service providers.