Racial Discrimination Experiences and Friendship Network Dynamics Among Black and Latinx Youth.

Despite a robust volume of evidence documenting adverse effects of racial discrimination experiences on adolescent adjustment outcomes, relatively little is known about the relational consequences of racial discrimination experiences for adolescent friendship networks. To address this gap, this study examines how racial discrimination experiences shape and are shaped by friendship network dynamics in early and middle adolescence. The current study's goals were to explicate whether relational consequences of racial discrimination experiences for friendship network selection differed between interracial and intraracial friendships among Black and Latinx youth, and how these adolescents were influenced by their friends' racial discrimination experiences. Longitudinal social network analysis was used among a sample of predominantly Latinx and Black middle school students from the southwestern U.S. (n = 1034; 50.1% boys, Mage = 12.1, 13.8% White, 18.6% Black, 53.1% Latinx, 14.4% Other race and multiracial). The results showed that Black and Latinx youth preferred intraracial friends. Above and beyond that, Black youth were more likely to have intraracial friendships when the focal individual reported lower levels of general racial discrimination experiences and higher levels of adult-perpetrated racial discrimination experiences. Black and Latinx adolescents reported increases in general racial discrimination experiences over time, as a function of their friends reporting higher levels of racial discrimination (e.g., peer influence). These findings advance developmental research by showing that racial discrimination experiences are consequential for friendship network dynamics by increasing the likelihood of intraracial friend selection among Black youth and through peer influence processes.

The Role of Cognitive Emotion Regulation for Making and Keeping Friend and Conflict Networks.

We used social network analysis (SNA) to examine how adaptive ER strategies (acceptance, positive reappraisal, refocusing, and putting in perspective) and maladaptive ER strategies (rumination, catastrophizing, self- and other-blame) predict the creation and maintenance of friendship and conflict relationships within a mixed-gender social group. Participants (n = 193, 53% female, M age = 19.4 years, 62.1% White) reported on emotion regulation, friendship, and conflict nominations at two time points. Stochastic actor-oriented models revealed that similarity in endorsement of adaptive ER strategies predicted maintenance of friendship and conflict relationships over time. However, new conflict relationships were more likely to form between those who differed in use of adaptive ER. Finally, more frequent use of maladaptive ER strategies was related to termination of existing conflict ties and the creation of new ones. Deploying social network analysis as a methodology for examining social relationships enables the unpacking the dynamics of multiple social relationships (friend and conflict), identifying the role of ER for structuring of social relationships among group members. Although cognitive ER is an intra-individual process, it fundamentally occurs within a social environment and our results advance the knowledge of how ER contributes to how this social environment is created in a first place.

Preliminary insights into associations between C-reactive protein and social network dynamics.

Recent social psychoneuroimmunology models suggest bidirectional associations between social experiences and the immune system. This work posits that social relationships and networks may influence the functioning of the immune system, but we know little about the role that the immune system plays in how social networks are created and maintained. We examine how salivary C-reactive protein (CRP), as an inflammatory protein, is associated with making new and keeping existing friendship and conflicted relationships among young adult members of a social group. Participants (n = 37; 67.6% female; M age = 18.18 years, 56.81% white/non-Hispanic) provided nominations of friends and individuals with whom they have conflict at wave 1 and two months later at wave 2. At wave 1, in a group setting, participants donated saliva, later assayed for CRP. Stochastic actor-based models revealed that CRP levels were negatively associated with keeping existing friends and positively associated with developing new friendships. We also found that CRP levels were negatively associated with creating new conflicted relationships and predicted an increased likelihood that group members continue conflicted relationships with the focal individual. These preliminary results support the premises of recent social psychoneuroimmunology models by suggesting that inflammation can also serve as a signal to seek new supportive relationships such as friendships and avoid creating new relationships characterized by threat and/or conflict. Findings provide new insights into the theorized function of the immune system for social approach and withdrawal patterns through which our social connections are constructed.

Racialized emotion recognition accuracy and anger bias of children's faces.

Research suggests that individuals are racially biased when judging the emotions of others (Elfenbein & Ambady, 2002) and particularly regarding attributions about the emotion of anger (Halberstadt, Castro, Chu, Lozada, & Sims, 2018; Hugenberg & Bodenhausen, 2003). Systematic, balanced designs are rare, and are comprised of adults viewing adults. The present study expands the questions of racialized emotion recognition accuracy and anger bias to the world of children. Findings that adults demonstrate either less emotion accuracy and/or greater anger bias for Black versus White children could potentially explain some of the large racialized disciplinary discrepancies in schools. To test whether racialized emotion recognition accuracy and anger bias toward children exists, we asked 178 prospective teachers to complete an emotion recognition task comprised of 72 children's facial expressions depicting six emotions and divided equally by race (Black, White) and gender (female, male). We also assessed implicit bias via the child race Implicit Association Test and explicit bias via questionnaire. Multilevel modeling revealed nuanced racialized emotion recognition accuracy with a race by gender interaction, but clear racialized anger bias toward both Black boys and girls. Both Black boys and Black girls were falsely seen as angry more often than White boys and White girls. Higher levels of either implicit or explicit bias did not increase odds of Black children being victim to anger bias, but instead decreased odds that White children would be misperceived as angry. Implications for addressing preexisting biases in teacher preparation programs and by children and parents are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Teachers' Beliefs About Children's Anger and Skill in Recognizing Children's Anger Expressions.

Everyday beliefs often organize and guide motivations, goals, and behaviors, and, as such, may also differentially motivate individuals to value and attend to emotion-related cues of others. In this way, the beliefs that individuals hold may affect the socioemotional skills that they develop. To test the role of emotion-related beliefs specific to anger, we examined an educational context in which beliefs could vary and have implications for individuals' skill. Specifically, we studied 43 teachers' beliefs about students' anger in the school setting as well as their ability to recognize expressions of anger in children's faces in a dynamic emotion recognition task. Results revealed that, even when controlling for teachers' age and gender, teachers' belief that children's anger was useful and valuable in the school setting was associated with teachers' accuracy at recognizing anger expressions in children's faces. The belief that children's anger was harmful and not conducive to learning, however, was not associated with teachers' accuracy at recognizing children's anger expressions. These findings suggest that certain everyday beliefs matter for predicting skill in recognizing specific emotion-related cues.

Caregivers' emotional competence and behavioral responsiveness as correlates of early childcare workers' relationships with children in their care.

In the current study, we examined associations among early childcare workers' emotional competence, observed responsiveness, comfort with socioemotional teaching practices, and the quality of their relationships with children in their care. The participants were 100 early childcare workers (72 center-based Early Head Start teachers and 28 family childcare providers). Results showed that caregivers' emotion regulation ability was positively associated with caregiver-child relational closeness. Understanding and regulation of emotion were both positively associated with childcare workers' comfort with socioemotional teaching practices. Their observed responsiveness was positively related to relational closeness and negatively related to relational conflict. Findings are consistent with aspects of the prosocial classroom model, which asserts that educators high in emotional and social competence tend to adopt childcare practices that result in supportive relationships with children. Results provide insight into whether childcare workers' responsiveness to young children and their perceived socioemotional teaching practices provide a pathway between emotional competence and the quality of caregiver-child relationships.

En el presente estudio, examinamos las asociaciones entre la competencia emocional de quienes trabajan cuidando niños pequeños, la observada sensibilidad, el sentirse cómodo con las prácticas de enseñanza socio-emocionales, y la calidad de las relaciones con los niños bajo su cuidado. Los participantes fueron 100 trabajadores de cuidado infantil en la temprana niñez (72 maestros del programa de un Comienzo Temprano con base en un centro y 28 proveedores de cuidado infantil de familia). Los resultados mostraron que la habilidad de regulación emocional de los cuidadores estaba positivamente asociada con la cercanía de la relación entre cuidador y niño. Tanto la comprensión como la regulación de la emoción estuvieron positivamente asociadas con el nivel al que los trabajadores de cuidado infantil se sentían cómodos con las prácticas de enseñanza socio-emocionales. La observada sensibilidad de los cuidadores se relacionó positivamente con la cercanía de la relación y negativamente con el conflicto en la relación. Los resultados son consistentes con aspectos del modelo pro-social de aula de clases de Jennings y Greenberg (2009), el cual afirma que los educadores con alta competencia emocional y social tienden a adoptar prácticas de cuidado infantil que resultan en relaciones comprensivas con los niños. Los resultados proveen percepciones en cuanto a si la sensibilidad de los trabajadores del cuidado infantil hacia los niños y cómo aquéllos perciben sus prácticas de enseñanza socio-emocionales ofrecen un camino entre la competencia emocional y la calidad de las relaciones entre cuidador y niño.

Dans cette étude nous avons examiné les liens entre la compétence émotionnelle des employés de crèches, la réaction observée, le fait d'être à l'aise avec les pratiques d'enseignement socio-émotionnelles, et la qualité de leurs relations avec les enfants dont ils s'occupaient. Les participants ont consisté en 100 employés de crèches (72 enseignants du programme américain pour les familles défavorisées Early Head Start, dans des centres et 28 dans des crèches indépendantes). Les résultats ont démontré que la capacité de régulation de l'émotion des employés était fortement liée à la proximité relationnelle Employé de la crèche-enfant. La compréhension et la régulation de l'émotion étaient fortement liées au fait d'être à l'aise avec les pratiques d'enseignement socio-émotionnelles pour les employés des crèches. Leur réaction observée était fortement liée à la proximité relationnelle et liée de manière négative au conflit relation. Les résultats correspondent aux aspects du modèle prosocial de la salle de classe de Jennings and Greenberg (2009) qui soutient que les éducateurs dont les compétences émotionnelles et sociales sont élevées ont tendance à adopter des pratiques de travail en crèche qui résultent en relations de soutien avec les enfants. Les résultats offrent des réflexions sur la réaction des employés de crèches aux jeunes enfants et leurs pratiques socio-émotionnelles d'enseignement perçues offrent une chemin entre la compétence émotionnelle et la qualité des relations Personne prenant soin-enfant.

Children's emotional responsiveness and sociomoral understanding and associations with mothers' and fathers' socialization practices.

Sixty-two preschoolers (55% boys) were presented hypothetical dilemmas about moral transgressions. Responses were evaluated in terms of children's emotional responsiveness, prosocial motives, and readiness to intervene. Mothers and fathers reported separately on their use of victim-oriented inductions, teaching reparations, power assertion, and love withdrawal. Four years later, parents reported on children's behavioral problems, emotion-regulation ability, and empathy. Mothers reported using more victim-oriented inductions than did fathers, and girls responded with more personal distress and reported more rule-oriented motives. Maternal love withdrawal was a positive predictor of empathy and motives of concern. For fathers, teaching reparations were positively related to children's sympathy. Interestingly, mothers' power assertion was negatively related to sympathy at high levels of fathers' power assertion, but not at low levels. Maternal power assertion during the preschool years was negatively associated with children's long-term empathy scores. School-age outcomes also were meaningfully predicted by earlier sociomoral competence.

Emotion socialization, child emotion understanding and regulation, and adjustment in urban African American families: differential associations across child gender.

The prospective relation of maternal emotion philosophy to children's emotion understanding and regulation and positive and negative adjustment was investigated. Sixty-nine African American youth (50% male; M age = 11.29 years) and their maternal caregivers living in high violence areas of a midsized city participated in this interview study. Caregivers' meta-emotion philosophy predicted child emotion understanding and emotion regulation, which also were associated with Time 2 grades, internalizing behaviors, externalizing behaviors, and social skills after controlling for Time 1 adjustment. Emotional understanding mediated the relationship between caregivers' emotional socialization and boys' internalizing behaviors and between caregivers' emotional socialization and girls' social skills. In addition, emotion regulation mediated the relationships between emotional socialization and all four outcomes for boys. Implications for future work on emotion socialization and clinical intervention, particularly related to emotion regulation, are discussed.

The roles of behavioral adjustment and conceptions of peers and emotions in preschool children's peer victimization.

Ninety-four low- and middle-income preschoolers (48 boys, 46 girls) were recruited from two sites in a large southwestern city. Children's positive attributions of peer intent, social problem-solving decisions, and attributions of peers' feelings about the provocation were evaluated from individual interviews. In addition, children's anger perception accuracy and their global emotion situation knowledge were assessed. Teachers and their assistants reported on the children's social competence, internalizing and externalizing behavior, and the degree to which children were physically and relationally victimized. Social competence was a negative predictor of relational and physical victimization, and externalizing behavior was a positive predictor of both types of victimization. Anger perception accuracy was negatively related to physical victimization, and global emotion situation knowledge and attributions of sorrow to provoking peers were positive predictors. Results support a conceptual framework that emphasizes the importance of social and emotion-related social cognitive variables for understanding young children's peer-related victimization.

Prediction of prosocial and emotional competence from maternal behavior in African American preschoolers.

This research investigates whether individual differences in African American preschoolers' prosocial behavior and emotional regulation ability were differentially predicted by parenting practices around prosocial behavior and emotions, once variance due to SES was explained. Seventy African American preschoolers were visited at their preschools and their prosocial and emotion regulation behaviors were observed. Mothers' emotion and prosocial-related socialization behaviors were observed during a separate home visit. Positive prosocial-related maternal variables (i.e., social approval of the act and praise of the child) were positively associated with prosocial behavior, above and beyond SES. On the other hand, positive emotion-related maternal variables, such as matching and discussion of emotions were more strongly related to emotion regulation behavior. Findings are discussed in terms of the lack of research on higher SES African American children and the associated methodological challenges of conducting developmental research on diverse populations.