Honors Theses
Date of Award
Spring 5-10-2025
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Sarah Bilsky
Second Advisor
Kristin Austin
Third Advisor
Laura Dixon
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
Adolescence and emerging adulthood are critical developmental periods marked by increased vulnerability to psychological distress, particularly anxiety and difficulties in emotion regulation. One factor that may contribute to this vulnerability is parental emotional invalidation. Although prior research has linked parental invalidation to adverse emotional outcomes, few studies have examined how these associations differ by caregiver and child gender. The current study evaluated how maternal and paternal emotional invalidation interacted with gender to influence anxiety symptoms and emotion regulation difficulties among 45 adolescents and emerging adults (n = 9 boys, 36 girls) between the ages of 13 and 22 years (Mage = 17.96; SD =1.93). Participants were recruited via social media platforms (i.e., Facebook and Instagram) and completed self-report measures assessing perceived maternal and paternal emotional invalidation, anxiety symptoms, and emotion regulation. Results of the study indicated that paternal emotional invalidation was associated with both anxiety and difficulties in emotion regulation, while maternal invalidation was associated only with anxiety. Additionally, paternal invalidation and participant gender interacted, such that paternal invalidation was positively associated with increased anxiety for boys, but not for girls. Other hypothesized interactions were not supported. Collectively, these findings emphasize the importance of considering both maternal and paternal emotional responses and the role of gender in understanding adolescent and emerging adult mental health.
Recommended Citation
Payne, Ashlynn, "The Power of Parental Responses: Emotional Invalidation and Its Association with Adolescent and Emerging Adult Anxiety and Emotion Regulation Across Genders" (2025). Honors Theses. 3304.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/3304
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