Emotional expressivity and variability during parents- adolescent interactions: the role of anxiety risk and gender

Abstract

[eng] This study examined differences in emotional expressivity and emotional variability between parent-adolescent interactions depending on risk of anxiety and gender. The sample consisted of 29 families (father, mother and adolescent), 13 adolescents with low-risk of anxiety (33.3% girls; 13.3 mean age) and 16 adolescents with high-risk of anxiety (66.7% girls; 13.8 mean age). Father-adolescent and mother-adolescent dyads were videotaped while discussing a conflict. Measures of emotional expressivity (negative emotional valence) and emotional variability (transitions, dispersion, average duration) were analysed using the state space grid. No differences were found in parent-adolescent negative emotional valence despite adolescent’s risk of anxiety. Mother-adolescent dyads with adolescents with low risk of anxiety had higher levels of negative emotional valence than father-adolescent dyads. Less emotional variability (lower levels of transitions between emotional states) was found in parent-adolescent dyads with high risk of anxiety than in those ones with low risk of anxiety. No differences existed in dispersion and average duration regardless of anxiety group or gender. Taking all the above mentioned into consideration, findings highlighted the importance of considering emotional variability in the development, prevention and treatment of adolescent anxiety.