Date of Award

2008

Publication Type

Master Thesis

Degree Name

M.A.

Department

Psychology

Keywords

Psychology

Supervisor

Julie Hakim-Larson

Rights

info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate self-talk as an emotion-regulation strategy and to test the emotion-related parenting model (Eisenberg et al., 1998) with young adults. It was hypothesized that a higher ratio of positive to negative self-talk would predict less emotion-regulation difficulties. Moreover, it was predicted that higher emotional expressiveness in the family and positive emotion-related parenting would predict a higher ratio of positive to negative self-talk and fewer emotion-regulation difficulties above and beyond age, gender, and affect intensity. One hundred and twenty nine undergraduates participated in this study. Of these, 33 females participated with their mothers. Participants completed self-report questionnaires. A higher ratio of positive-to-negative self-talk was found to predict fewer emotion regulation difficulties, which supported the first hypothesis. Hypotheses 2 was tested using affect intensity, mothers's self-expressiveness, and young adults' self-expressiveness as predictors. The overall model was significant and the results partially confirmed the hypothesis, with mothers' self-expressiveness being a significant predictor of total difficulties in emotion regulation. Hypothesis 3 was tested using mothers' self-expressiveness, young adults' age and affect intensity as predictors. It was not confirmed since the overall model was not significant. The results are discussed in relation to theory and research on emotional functioning and parenting.

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