Cultural variability and consistency in adolescents’ emotional regulation and relationship with their parents: data from Argentina, Ghana, India and Zambia

Abstract

The aim of the current study was to examine the relationship between parent?child relationship and emotional regulation in adolescents across four countries regarding: (a) mother?child relationship; (b) father?child relationship; (c) adolescents? emotion regulation; and (d) the relationship between mother?child/father?child close relationships and adolescents? emotion regulation. Sex differences were also considered in the analysis. The sample of 270 Zambian, 216 Argentinian, 200 Ghanaian, and 180 Indian adolescents answered The Experience in Close Relationship Questionnaire and the Emotional Regulation Questionnaire. Results revealed cultural differences in the way adolescents perceived their relations with parents. Zambian adolescents were more likely to perceive their relationship as avoidant compared to Ghanaian, Argentina and Indian. Consistent with literature, Zambian and Argentinian adolescents who perceived their parents as avoidant were likely to use less cognitive appraisal as an emotion regulation strategy. Finally, Argentinian adolescents who used expressive suppression were also likely to perceive their parents as avoidant.