Human Development Professor Sara Waters finds that emotional suppression has consequences
Kids are emotional firecrackers. They show their emotions, whether it be good or bad. Adults, however, tend to be less transparent.
Parents or guardians suppressing their emotions can cause damage to their child’s emotional growth, according to a recent study conducted by WSU Vancouver Human Development professor Sara Waters and University of California professors Helena Karnilowicz and Wendy Mendes.
Despite the opinion of many, the study, “Not in front of the kids: Effects of parental suppression on socialization behaviors during cooperative parent–child interactions” suggests parents and guardians should not hide their emotional vulnerability from their children.
“It’s almost just as powerful, if not more powerful, what we do with our emotions in front of our kids, than what we tell them to do with their emotions,” Waters said.
While pursuing her doctorate degree, Waters became interested in the concept of nature versus nurture and how some children seem better at processing their emotions compared to others. Waters said her research began with questions like, ‘how can we help our children handle stress better and process their emotions properly?’
“It’s almost just as powerful, if not more powerful, what we do with our emotions in front of our kids, than what we tell them to do with their emotions.”
Sara Waters, WSU Vancouver Human Development professor
The nearly two year study looked at how parents and children regulate their suppressed emotions. According to research in social psychology, emotional suppression is not healthy. “I thought, that’s interesting, because parents often feel that they shouldn’t show how upset they are in front of their children. That idea of ‘not in front of the kids,’” Waters said.
The study observed 109 families in San Francisco. WSU Vancouver students took a part in the study by coding the reactions and specific behaviors of the subjects. Video recordings were sent to the Human Development lab in the McClaskey Building for research analysis.
“I think it’s really important for parents to remember that their kids are paying attention and learning lessons from how parents manage their own emotions,” Waters said. “I don’t think you want to melt-down in front of your kid…but a really powerful way to teach your kid to be resilient in the world is to show them how you do it.” For example, the next time you experience road rage with kids in the car, explain why you are upset instead of going into a rage, Waters suggests.
“A really powerful way to teach your kid to be resilient in the world is to show them how you do it.”
Sara Waters
Aiding in the research is Karnilowicz from the University of California, Berkeley, and Mendes from the University of California, San Francisco. The study was published in the journal, Emotion, on Nov. 26, 2018. Read more about the details of Waters’ study in the February issue of The VanCougar, on stands Jan. 31.
Anna Nelson is the Editor in Chief for the VanCougar. She is a senior and is studying strategic communications.