Work

Emotion coupling across socialization contexts in adolescence: Differences in parent–child and peer interactions.

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: = 615; 50.2% female; 46.8% European American, 31.2% African American, 5.0% Hispanic, 3.0% Asian or Pacific Islander, 2.0% Native American, and 12.0% multiple ethnic backgrounds) participated in two videotaped interaction tasks: one with a parent and one with a self-nominated peer. Parent and peer interactions included discussions on positive and negative topics. Both dyad members' emotions were coded in real time. Cross-recurrence quantification analyses and growth-curve modeling revealed concurrent emotion coupling patterns, with peer dyads showing stronger coupling than parent-adolescent dyads. Moreover, peer dyads showed the most pronounced coupling patterns when they discussed personal problems, while parent-adolescent dyads showed the most pronounced coupling patterns when they discussed the planning of a fun activity. Our findings emphasize the importance of microlevel emotion dynamics in understanding larger scale developmental shifts in relationships during adolescence. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Source: Developmental Psychology

DOI: 10.1037/dev0001865

Authors: David Renjaän, Leentje Vervoort, Thao Ha, Fred Hasselman, Roy Otten

Institutions: Radboud University Nijmegen, Arizona State University

Language: English

Topic: Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development

Subfield: Clinical Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Funders: National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institute on Drug Abuse

Awards: G1103027278, Relationship Dynamics and Young Adult Drug Use and Abuse, Development, Ecology, and Prevention of Adult Addictive Behavior, Understanding and Preventing Adolescent Drug Abuse, G7407395225