Parental beliefs about emotions are associated with early adolescents' independent and interdependent self-construals

We assessed linkages between parents' beliefs and their children's self-construals with 60 7th and 8th graders. Early adolescents completed an open-ended, Self-Guide Questionnaire and an independent and interdependent reaction-time measure. The self-guide responses were coded for independent and interdependent traits. Parents reported beliefs about the danger of emotions and parental guidance of emotions. When parents were high in beliefs about danger of emotions, and about parental guidance, early adolescents more rapidly responded to traits, especially interdependent traits. When parents were low in beliefs about both danger of emotions and parental guidance, daughters, but not sons, included fewer independent and interdependent traits in their self-construals. Girls responded faster to interdependent traits and included more interdependent and fewer independent traits in their self-construals than boys.