Intergenerational Emotion Dysregulation Transmission in Mother-Child Dyads: Transactions across Infancy and Toddlerhood

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Title: Intergenerational Emotion Dysregulation Transmission in Mother-Child Dyads: Transactions across Infancy and Toddlerhood
Language: English
Authors: Natalee N. Price (ORCID 0000-0002-1654-0146), Nicole M. Baumgartner, Elizabeth J. Kiel
Source: Developmental Psychology. 2026 62(4):739-752.
Availability: American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 14
Publication Date: 2026
Sponsoring Agency: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (DHHS/NIH)
Contract Number: R15HD076158
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Parent Child Relationship, Mothers, Emotional Response, Affective Behavior, Parent Attitudes, Infants, Toddlers, Self Control, Child Behavior
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: Rothbart Infant Behavior Questionnaire
DOI: 10.1037/dev0002000
ISSN: 0012-1649
1939-0599
Abstract: Intergenerational transmission of emotion dysregulation (ED) has strong implications for psychopathology risk. Past research has neglected assessing parenting-specific domains of ED and the transactional nature of these processes in early development. This study tested longitudinal relations among mothers' nonacceptance of their own emotions (ED), mothers' experiential avoidance of their child's emotions (EA), and early manifestations of child ED (negative affect [NA]). Participants were 186 mothers (91.9% White, 95.7% non-Hispanic/Latina) of children (44.6% female, 83.3% White, 93% non-Hispanic/Latinx, diverse socioeconomic status) who participated when children were ages 1 (T1), 2 (T2), and 3 (T3) years. Mothers reported on variables of interest at each time point. A random intercept cross-lagged panel model delineated within- versus between-family effects among variables across time, allowing for a variable-centered examination of both individual differences and bidirectional effects. Regarding the between-family component, ED positively covaried with both EA and NA such that mothers endorsing higher nonacceptance of their emotions tended to also endorse their child's greater NA and greater avoidance of child emotions. Though within-family autoregressive relations trended positively, no stability effects emerged. Within-time point and cross-lagged effects tended to be nonsignificant, with the exception of EA and NA positively covarying at T3, such that when mothers had more stability (less fluctuation) in their EA at child age 3, they also endorsed more stability in their child's NA. Findings also prospectively indicated greater trait-like stability in the maternal versus child emotion traits and in between-family relations relative to within-family processes.
Abstractor: As Provided
Notes: https://osf.io/m4uxj/?view_only=135b9fc6450b470e863d9a12f8f4191f
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1503593
Database: ERIC
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  Data: Intergenerational Emotion Dysregulation Transmission in Mother-Child Dyads: Transactions across Infancy and Toddlerhood
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Natalee+N%2E+Price%22">Natalee N. Price</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1654-0146">0000-0002-1654-0146</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Nicole+M%2E+Baumgartner%22">Nicole M. Baumgartner</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Elizabeth+J%2E+Kiel%22">Elizabeth J. Kiel</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Developmental+Psychology%22"><i>Developmental Psychology</i></searchLink>. 2026 62(4):739-752.
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  Data: American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
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  Data: Y
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  Data: 14
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (DHHS/NIH)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parent+Child+Relationship%22">Parent Child Relationship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mothers%22">Mothers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Emotional+Response%22">Emotional Response</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Affective+Behavior%22">Affective Behavior</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parent+Attitudes%22">Parent Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Infants%22">Infants</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Toddlers%22">Toddlers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Self+Control%22">Self Control</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Child+Behavior%22">Child Behavior</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SU" term="%22Rothbart+Infant+Behavior+Questionnaire%22">Rothbart Infant Behavior Questionnaire</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1037/dev0002000
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  Data: 0012-1649<br />1939-0599
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Intergenerational transmission of emotion dysregulation (ED) has strong implications for psychopathology risk. Past research has neglected assessing parenting-specific domains of ED and the transactional nature of these processes in early development. This study tested longitudinal relations among mothers' nonacceptance of their own emotions (ED), mothers' experiential avoidance of their child's emotions (EA), and early manifestations of child ED (negative affect [NA]). Participants were 186 mothers (91.9% White, 95.7% non-Hispanic/Latina) of children (44.6% female, 83.3% White, 93% non-Hispanic/Latinx, diverse socioeconomic status) who participated when children were ages 1 (T1), 2 (T2), and 3 (T3) years. Mothers reported on variables of interest at each time point. A random intercept cross-lagged panel model delineated within- versus between-family effects among variables across time, allowing for a variable-centered examination of both individual differences and bidirectional effects. Regarding the between-family component, ED positively covaried with both EA and NA such that mothers endorsing higher nonacceptance of their emotions tended to also endorse their child's greater NA and greater avoidance of child emotions. Though within-family autoregressive relations trended positively, no stability effects emerged. Within-time point and cross-lagged effects tended to be nonsignificant, with the exception of EA and NA positively covarying at T3, such that when mothers had more stability (less fluctuation) in their EA at child age 3, they also endorsed more stability in their child's NA. Findings also prospectively indicated greater trait-like stability in the maternal versus child emotion traits and in between-family relations relative to within-family processes.
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  Data: https://osf.io/m4uxj/?view_only=135b9fc6450b470e863d9a12f8f4191f
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: EJ1503593
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        Value: 10.1037/dev0002000
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      – Text: English
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        PageCount: 14
        StartPage: 739
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Parent Child Relationship
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mothers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Emotional Response
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Affective Behavior
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      – SubjectFull: Parent Attitudes
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      – SubjectFull: Infants
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      – SubjectFull: Toddlers
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      – SubjectFull: Self Control
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Child Behavior
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      – SubjectFull: Rothbart Infant Behavior Questionnaire
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      – TitleFull: Intergenerational Emotion Dysregulation Transmission in Mother-Child Dyads: Transactions across Infancy and Toddlerhood
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