Work

The Heritability of Parents' Emotion Socialization Behaviors: Evidence from a Population-based Extended Twin Study

Year: 2026

Type: preprint

Abstract: Objectives. This study investigated genetic and environmental contributions to parental emotion socialization, addressing the limited attention given to heritability in previous research and frameworks. Additionally, we examined the intergenerational transmission of emotion socialization by decomposing the covariance between parents’ current practices and the emotion socialization they experienced in their family of origin. Methods. We employed a population-based extended twin design that included monozygotic and dizygotic twins, full siblings, and cousins, with both maternal and paternal relatives. Questionnaire data were collected from Norwegian parents (N = 1803; 1106 mothers) of children aged 3-12 years (M = 7.4 years) and analyzed using univariate and bivariate modeling. Results. Genetic factors explained more than 20% of the variance across all four forms of parental emotion socialization (supportive and non-supportive; current and recalled). The unique environment accounted for 47–72%, and the shared environment showed a minimal effect. Bivariate model testing of the covariation between current and recalled emotion socialization showed that a model with only genetic and unique-environmental effects provided the best fit for both supportive and non-supportive emotion socialization practices. Conclusions. Parental emotion socialization shows moderate heritability and is primarily influenced by unique environmental factors, whereas shared family background has limited impact. This highlights the importance of considering both genetic factors and individual life experiences in understanding how parenting practices are developed and transmitted across generations. Subject classification codes: Parenting style/process; Family, Parenting; Emotion regulation; Socialization.

Source: Research Square

DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-10939598/v1