Current Effect of Mother-Child Memory Talk on Emotion Regulation, Self-Esteem, and Memory

Year 2024, , 148 - 170, 16.03.2024

Nilsu Borhan

https://doi.org/10.21449/ijate.1380529

Abstract

Children talking to their parents more frequently about past experiences tend to have higher emotion regulation skills and self-esteem in their future lives, which may lead to higher volume and richer emotional content in future memories. Previous research also indicated that self-esteem has a strong bond with emotion regulation skills. This study’s aim is to measure the mediator roles of emotion regulation difficulty and self-esteem on the relationship between childhood maternal reminiscing frequency and the volume and emotional content of the current memory experienced with the mother. Additionally, mediator roles of self-esteem in the connection between past maternal reminiscing and emotion regulation difficulty, and emotion regulation difficulty in the relationship between self-esteem and the current memory variables (i.e., total words, total emotion and unique emotion words) are examined. Participants (N=124, the age range was 22-39) filled out Rosenberg Self-Esteem, Emotion Regulation Difficulty, and Family Reminiscence Scales and wrote down one negatively-charged recent memory about their mothers. Path analysis revealed significant positive associations between past maternal reminiscing and self-esteem, emotion regulation difficulty, and total and unique emotion words in recent memory, and negative association between self-esteem and emotion regulation difficulty, supporting half of the mediation hypotheses. Results supported the notion that the frequency of parent-child reminiscing conversations in childhood is a parameter of child development since it can show its prospective effect via improving self-esteem and emotional functioning. Gender differences were not evident for current memory variables but more research on this issue is needed to reach more precise conclusions.

Keywords

Autobiographical memory, Childhood, Emotions, Gender, Self-esteem

Ethical Statement

Middle East Technical University, Applied Ethics Research Center, 0067-ODTUIAEK-2022.

References

• Ahmadi, M., Abdollahi, M.H., Ramezani, V., & Heshmati, R. (2010). The impact of written emotional expression on depressive symptoms and working memory capacity in Iranian students with high depressive symptoms. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 5, 1610-1614. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.07.334
• Arbuckle, J.L. (2013). Amos (Version 24.0), Computer Program, SPSS/IBM, Chicago.
• Aznar, A., & Tenenbaum, H.R. (2015). Gender and age differences in parent–child emotion talk. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 33(1), 148 155. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjdp.12069
• Aznar, A., & Tenenbaum, H.R. (2020). Gender comparisons in mother-child emotion talk: A meta-analysis. Sex Roles, 82, 155-162. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-019-01042-y
• Bailey, P.E., Brady, B., Ebner, N.C., & Ruffman, T. (2020). Effects of age on emotion regulation, emotional empathy, and prosocial behavior. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 75(4), 802-810. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gby084
• Berry, D.S., & Pennebaker, J.W. (1993). Nonverbal and verbal emotional expression and health. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 59(1), 11 19. https://doi.org/10.1159/000288640
• Bibi, S., Saqlain, S., & Mussawar, B. (2016). Relationship between emotional intelligence and self-esteem among Pakistani university students. Journal of Psychology & Psychotherapy, 6(4), 279. https://doi.org/1-6.10.4172/2161-0487.1000279
• Bird, A., & Reese, E. (2006). Emotional reminiscing and the development of an autobiographical self. Developmental Psychology, 42(4), 613. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.42.4.613
• Bjureberg, J., Ljótsson, B., Tull, M.T., Hedman, E., Sahlin, H., Lundh, L.G., ... & Gratz, K.L. (2016). Development and validation of a brief version of the difficulties in emotion regulation scale: the DERS-16. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 38, 284-296. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-015-9514-x
• Bohanek, J.G., Marin, K.A., & Fivush, R. (2008). Family narratives, self, and gender in early adolescence. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 28(1), 153 176. https://doi.org/10.1177/0272431607308673
• Bost, K.K., Shin, N., Mcbride, B.A., Brown, G.L., Vaughn, B.E., Coppola, G., ... & Korth, B. (2006). Maternal secure base scripts, children's attachment security, and mother–child narrative styles. Attachment & Human Development, 8(3), 241 260. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616730600856131
• Bowlby, J. (1979). The bowlby-ainsworth attachment theory. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 2(4), 637-638.
• Brown, J.D., & Marshall, M.A. (2001). Self-Esteem and Emotion: Some Thoughts about Feelings. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 27(5), 575 584. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167201275006
• Brumariu, L.E. (2015). Parent–child attachment and emotion regulation. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 2015(148), 31-45. https://doi.org/10.1002/cad.20098
• Buckner, J.P., & Fivush IV, R. (2000). Gendered themes in family reminiscing. Memory, 8(6), 401-412. https://doi.org/10.1080/09658210050156859
• Bulanda, R.E. (2004). Paternal involvement with children: The influence of gender ideologies. Journal of Marriage and Family, 66(1), 40 45. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0022-2455.2004.00003.x
• Campbell-Sills, L., Barlow, D.H., Brown, T.A., & Hofmann, S.G. (2006). Acceptability and suppression of negative emotion in anxiety and mood disorders. Emotion, 6(4), 587–595. https://doi.org/10.1037/1528-3542.6.4.587
• Chang, V.T., Overall, N.C., Madden, H., & Low, R.S.T. (2018). Expressive suppression tendencies, projection bias in memory of negative emotions, and well-being. Emotion, 18(7), 925–941. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000405
• Coetzee, M., Martins, N., Basson, J.S., & Muller, H. (2006). The relationship between personality preferences, self-esteem and emotional competence. SA Journal of Industrial Psychology, 32(2), 64-73. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajip.v32i2.233
• Cohen, J.S., & Mendez, J.L. (2009). Emotion regulation, language ability, and the stability of preschool children's peer play behavior. Early Education and Development, 20(6), 1016-1037. https://doi.org/10.1037/12059-004
• Cook, O.K., Coffman, J.L., & Ornstein, P.A. (2023). The development of children’s autobiographical and deliberate memory through mother–child reminiscing. Journal of Cognition and Development, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/15248372.2023.2225620
• Çuhadaroğlu, F. (1986). Adölesanlarda Benlik Saygısı [Self-esteem in Adolescents] [P.h.D. – Doctor of Philosophy]. Hacettepe University.
• Darling Rasmussen, P., Storebø, O.J., Løkkeholt, T., Voss, L.G., Shmueli-Goetz, Y., Bojesen, A.B., ... & Bilenberg, N. (2019). Attachment as a core feature of resilience: A systematic review and meta analysis. Psychological Reports, 122(4), 1259 1296. https://doi.org/10.1177/003329411878557
• De Rosnay, M., & Hughes, C. (2006). Conversation and theory of mind: Do children talk their way to socio‐cognitive understanding?. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 24(1), 7-37. https://doi.org/10.1348/026151005X82901
• Ellis, B.H., Alisic, E., Reiss, A., Dishion, T., & Fisher, P.A. (2014). Emotion regulation among preschoolers on a continuum of risk: The role of maternal emotion coaching. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 23, 965-974. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-013-9752-z
• Fernandes, B., Newton, J., & Essau, C.A. (2022). The mediating effects of self-esteem on anxiety and emotion regulation. Psychological Reports, 125(2), 787 803. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033294121996991
• Fivush, R. (2020). The emergence of autobiographical consciousness and the construction of an autobiographical self. In B., Sahin-Acar, & S., Gülgöz. (Eds). Autobiographical memory development. (1st ed., pp. 6-22). Routledge.
• Fivush, R. (2007). Maternal reminiscing style and children’s developing understanding of self and emotion. Clinical Social Work Journal, 35, 37-46. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-006-0065-1
• Fivush, R., Berlin, L., McDermott Sales, J., Mennuti-Washburn, J., & Cassidy, J. (2003). Functions of parent-child reminiscing about emotionally negative events. Memory, 11(2), 179-192. https://doi.org/10.1080/741938209
• Fivush, R., Brotman, M.A., Buckner, J.P., & Goodman, S.H. (2000). Gender differences in parent child emotion narratives. Sex Roles 42, 233 253. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007091207068
• Fivush, R., Marin, K., McWilliams, K., & Bohanek, J.G. (2009). Family reminiscing style: Parent gender and emotional focus in relation to child well-being. Journal of Cognition and Development, 10(3), 210-235. https://doi.org/10.1080/15248370903155866
• Fivush, R., & Nelson, K. (2006). Parent–child reminiscing locates the self in the past. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 24(1), 235 251. https://doi.org/10.1348/026151005X57747
• Fivush, R., & Salmon, K. (2023). Maternal reminiscing as critical to emotion socialization. Mental Health & Prevention, 30, 200281. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mhp.2023.200281
• Gomez, T., Quiñones-Camacho, L., & Davis, E. (2018). Building a sense of self: The link between emotion regulation and self-esteem in young adults. UC Riverside Undergraduate Research Journal, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.5070/RJ5121039160
• Goodvin, R., & Romdall, L. (2013). Associations of mother–child reminiscing about negative past events, coping, and self‐concept in early childhood. Infant and Child Development, 22(4), 383-400. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/icd.1797
• Gowda, A.S., & Rodriguez, C.M. (2019). Gender role ideology in mothers and fathers: Relation with parent-child aggression risk longitudinally. Child Abuse & Neglect, 96, 104087. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.104087
• Graham, S.M., Huang, J.Y., Clark, M.S., & Helgeson, V.S. (2008). The positives of negative emotions: Willingness to express negative emotions promotes relationships. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 34(3), 394 406. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167207311281
• Gross, J.T., & Cassidy, J. (2019). Expressive suppression of negative emotions in children and adolescents: Theory, data, and a guide for future research. Developmental Psychology, 55(9), 1938–1950. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000722
• Grysman, A., & Mansfield, C.D. (2020). Narrative methods in autobiographical memory. In Autobiographical Memory Development (pp. 67-83). Routledge.
• Halpern, H.P., & Perry-Jenkins, M. (2016). Parents’ gender ideology and gendered behavior as predictors of children’s gender-role attitudes: A longitudinal exploration. Sex Roles, 74, 527-542. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-015-0539-0
• Harris, M.A., Donnellan, M.B., Guo, J., McAdams, D.P., Garnier‐Villarreal, M., & Trzesniewski, K.H. (2017). Parental co‐construction of 5‐to 13‐year‐olds' global self‐esteem through reminiscing about past events. Child Development, 88(6), 1810-1822. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12944
• Kennedy-Moore, E., & Watson, J.C. (2001). How and when does emotional expression help?. Review of General Psychology, 5(3), 187-212. https://doi.org/10.1037//1089-2680.5.3.187
• Koh, J.B.K., & Wang, Q. (2021). Mother–child reminiscing about emotionally negative events and children’s long-term mental health. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 3877. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.632799
• Kuebli, J., & Fivush, R. (1992). Gender differences in parent-child conversations about past emotions. Sex Roles, 27(11-12), 683-698. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01954572
• Lagattuta, K.H., & Wellman, H.M. (2002). Differences in early parent-child conversations about negative versus positive emotions: implications for the development of psychological understanding. Developmental Psychology, 38(4), 564. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.38.4.564
• Laible, D. (2011). Does it matter if preschool children and mothers discuss positive vs. negative events during reminiscing? Links with mother‐reported attachment, family emotional climate, and socioemotional development. Social Development, 20(2), 394-411. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9507.2010.00584.x
• Laible, D., Panfile Murphy, T., & Augustine, M. (2013). Constructing emotional and relational understanding: The role of mother–child reminiscing about negatively valenced events. Social Development, 22(2), 300-318. https://doi.org/10.1111/sode.12022
• Leyva, D., Catalan Molina, D., Suárez, C., Tamis-LeMonda, C.S., & Yoshikawa, H. (2021). Mother-child reminiscing and first-graders’ emotion competence in a low-income and ethnically diverse sample. Journal of Cognition and Development, 22(4), 501-522. https://doi.org/10.1080/15248372.2021.1908293
• Li, L., Chen, Y., & Liu, Z. (2022). Shyness and self-disclosure among college students: The mediating role of psychological security and its gender difference. Current Psychology, 41(9), 6003-6013. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-020-01099-z
• Lightsey, O.R., Jr., Burke, M., Ervin, A., Henderson, D., & Yee, C. (2006). Generalized self-efficacy, self-esteem, and negative affect. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science / Revue Canadienne des sciences du comportement, 38(1), 72 80. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0087272
• Livingstone, K.M., & Isaacowitz, D.M. (2021). Age and emotion regulation in daily life: Frequency, strategies, tactics, and effectiveness. Emotion, 21(1), 39 51. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000672
• Marshall, S., & Reese, E. (2022). Growing Memories: Benefits of an early childhood maternal reminiscing intervention for emerging adults’ turning point narratives and well-being. Journal of Research in Personality, 99, 104262. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2022.104262
• McCullen, J.R., Counts, C.J., & John-Henderson, N.A. (2023). Childhood adversity and emotion regulation strategies as predictors of psychological stress and mental health in American Indian adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Emotion, 23(3), 805-813. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0001106
• Mitchell, C., & Reese, E. (2022). Growing Memories: Coaching mothers in elaborative reminiscing with toddlers benefits adolescents' turning‐point narratives and wellbeing. Journal of Personality, 90(6), 887-901. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12703
• Moksnes, U.K., & Espnes, G.A. (2012). Self‐esteem and emotional health in adolescents–gender and age as potential moderators. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 53(6), 483-489. https://doi.org/10.1111/sjop.12021
• Morawska, A. (2020). The effects of gendered parenting on child development outcomes: A systematic review. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 23(4), 553-576. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10567-020-00321-5
• Mouatsou, C., & Koutra, K. (2023). Emotion regulation in relation with resilience in emerging adults: The mediating role of self-esteem. Current Psychology, 42 734-747. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01427-x
• Noel, M., Pavlova, M., Lund, T., Jordan, A., Chorney, J., Rasic, N., Brookes, J., Hoy, M., Yunker, W.K., & Graham, S. (2019). The role of narrative in the development of children's pain memories: influences of father–and mother–child reminiscing on children's recall of pain. Pain, 160(8), 1866-1875. https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001565
• Orth, U., Erol, R.Y., & Luciano, E.C. (2018). Development of self-esteem from age 4 to 94 years: A meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Psychological Bulletin, 144(10), 1045–1080. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000161
• Öner, S., Ece, B., & Gülgöz, S. (2020). Family reminiscence scale: A measure of early communicative context. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 16(2), 849-863. https://doi.org/10.17263/jlls.759327
• Öner, S., & Gülgöz, S. (2022). Adults’ recollection of the earliest memories: early parental elaboration mediated the link between attachment and remembering. Current Psychology, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-03811-7
• Pavarini, G., de Hollanda Souza, D., & Hawk, C.K. (2013). Parental practices and theory of mind development. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 22, 844-853. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-012-9643-8
• Perales, F., Hoffmann, H., King, T., Vidal, S., & Baxter, J. (2021). Mothers, fathers and the intergenerational transmission of gender ideology. Social Science Research, 99, 102597. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2021.102597
• Peterson, C., Sales, J.M., Rees, M., & Fivush, R. (2007). Parent–child talk and children's memory for stressful events. Applied Cognitive Psychology: The Official Journal of the Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 21(8), 1057-1075. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.1314
• Pinquart, M. (2023). Associations of self-esteem with attachment to parents: A meta-analysis. Psychological Reports, 126(5), 2101-2118. https://doi.org/10.1177/00332941221079732
• Pohárnok, M., & Láng, A. (2021). Gender Differences in Mother-Child Conversations About Shame and Pride in a Hungarian Sample. Europe's Journal of Psychology, 17(2), 58. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.2859
• Premack, D., & Woodruff, G. (1978). Does the chimpanzee have a theory of mind?. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 1(4), 515-526.
• Reese, E., Bird, A., & Tripp, G. (2007). Children's self‐esteem and moral self: Links to parent-child conversations regarding emotion. Social Development, 16(3), 460-478. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9507.2007.00393.x
• Reese, E., Haden, C.A., & Fivush, R. (1993). Mother-child conversations about the past: Relationships of style and memory over time. Cognitive Development, 8(4), 403-430. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0885-2014(05)80002-4
• Reese, E., Haden, C.A., & Fivush, R. (1996). Mothers, fathers, daughters, sons: Gender differences in autobiographical reminiscing. Research on Language and Social Interaction, 29(1), 27-56. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327973rlsi2901_3
• Ren, Y., Wyver, S., Xu Rattanasone, N., & Demuth, K. (2016). Social competence and language skills in Mandarin–English bilingual preschoolers: The moderation effect of emotion regulation. Early Education and Development, 27(3), 303 317. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2015.1066639
• Reschke, P.J., Clifford, B.N., Brown, M., Siufanua, M., Graver, H., Cooper, A.M., ... & Coyne, S.M. (2023). Links between parent–child conversations about emotions and changes in children's emotion knowledge across early childhood. Child Development. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13960
• Rey, L., Extremera, N., & Pena, M. (2011). Perceived emotional intelligence, self-esteem and life satisfaction in adolescents. Psychosocial Intervention, 20(2), 227-234. http://dx.doi.org/10.5093/in2011v20n2a10
• Rimes, K., Smith, P., & Bridge, L. (2023). Low self-esteem: A refined cognitive behavioural model. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 1 16. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1352465823000048
• Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and the adolescent self-image. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
• Roth, G., Vansteenkiste, M., & Ryan, R.M. (2019). Integrative emotion regulation: Process and development from a self-determination theory perspective. Development and Psychopathology, 31(3), 945-956. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579419000403
• Sales, J.M., & Fivush, R. (2005). Social and emotional functions of mother–child reminiscing about stressful events. Social Cognition, 23(1), 70 90. https://doi.org/10.1521/soco.23.1.70.59196
• Salmon, K., & Reese, E. (2016). The benefits of reminiscing with young children. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 25(4), 233 238. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721416655100
• Schroeder, K.M., Bámaca-Colbert, M.Y., & Robins, R.W. (2019). Becoming more egalitarian: A longitudinal examination of Mexican-origin adolescents’ gender role attitudes. Developmental Psychology, 55(11), 2311–2323. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000811
• Smith, S.M., & Petty, R.E. (1995). Personality moderators of mood congruency effects on cognition: the role of self-esteem and negative mood regulation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 68(6), 1092. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.68.6.1092
• Song, Q., & Wang, Q. (2020). Mother–child reminiscing about peer experiences in European American and Chinese immigrant families: The impact on children’s relational self-concepts. Asian American Journal of Psychology, 11(1), 40 48. https://doi.org/10.1037/aap0000162
• Surzykiewicz, J., Skalski, S.B., Sołbut, A., Rutkowski, S., & Konaszewski, K. (2022). Resilience and Regulation of Emotions in Adolescents: Serial Mediation Analysis through Self-Esteem and the Perceived Social Support. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(13), 8007. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19138007
• Svane, R.P., Zaman, W., Merrill, N., Krøjgaard, P., & Fivush, R. (2022). Gender differences in emotional reminiscing in a Scandinavian sample. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 63(3), 173-181. https://doi.org/10.1111/sjop.12802
• Valentino, K., Cummings, E.M., Borkowski, J., Hibel, L.C., Lefever, J., & Lawson, M. (2019). Efficacy of a reminiscing and emotion training intervention on maltreating families with preschool aged children. Developmental Psychology, 55(11), 2365 2378. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000792
• Valentino, K., Nuttall, A.K., Comas, M., McDonnell, C.G., Piper, B., Thomas, T.E., & Fanuele, S. (2014). Mother–child reminiscing and autobiographical memory specificity among preschool age children. Developmental Psychology, 50(4), 1197. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0034912
• Wang, Q., Doan, S.N., & Song, Q. (2010). Talking about internal states in mother–child reminiscing influences children's self-representations: A cross-cultural study. Cognitive Development, 25(4), 380-393. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogdev.2010.08.007
• Wareham, P., & Salmon, K. (2006). Mother–child reminiscing about everyday experiences: Implications for psychological interventions in the preschool years. Clinical Psychology Review, 26(5), 535-554. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2006.05.001
• Waters, T.E., Camia, C., Facompré, C.R., & Fivush, R. (2019). A meta-analytic examination of maternal reminiscing style: Elaboration, gender, and children’s cognitive development. Psychological Bulletin, 145(11), 1082. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000211
• Watson, D., Clark, L.A., & Tellegen, A. (1988). Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The PANAS scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54(6), 1063–1070. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.54.6.1063
• Welch-Ross, M.K., Fasig, L.G., & Farrar, M.J. (1999). Predictors of preschoolers' self-knowledge: Reference to emotion and mental states in mother-child conversation about past events. Cognitive Development, 14(3), 401-422. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0885-2014(99)00012-X
• Yiğit, İ., & Guzey Yiğit, M. (2019). Psychometric properties of Turkish version of difficulties in emotion regulation scale-brief form (DERS-16). Current Psychology, 38, 1503-1511. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-017-9712-7
• Young, K.S., Sandman, C.F., & Craske, M.G. (2019). Positive and negative emotion regulation in adolescence: links to anxiety and depression. Brain Sciences, 9(4), 76. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci9040076
• Yüksek, P. (2022). University Youth and Politics in Turkey: The Case of Metu Engineering Students [M.A. - Master of Arts]. Middle East Technical University.
• Yüksel-Kaptanoğlu, İ., & Bernhardt, E. (2018). Education, religious practice and gender ideology in Turkey. Stockholm Research Reports in Demography, 16(1), 3-31. https://doi.org/10.17045/sthlmuni.6281342.v1