Maternal emotion socialization and emotional functioning among black adolescents: the role of perceptions of mother as a secure base

Black youth face racial inequities in their communities that translate to more severe consequences for their displays of negative emotions than their White counterparts. Researchers propose that a balanced approach to emotion socialization, combining emotional support and suppression of youth’s displays of negative emotions, engenders Black teens’ confidence in their caregivers’ availability to provide comfort, connection, and protection in times of need (i.e., perceptions of mother as a secure base). We examined associations among mothers’ responses to Black teens’ distress, teens’ perceptions of their mothers as a secure base, and teens’ emotional functioning. Participants were 79 Black adolescents (Mage = 13.10, SDage = .98; 51% female) and their mothers. Results indicated that the combination of mothers’ high support and moderate suppression in response to teens’ negative emotions predicted adolescents’ perceptions of their mother as a secure base and, in turn, lower emotional reactivity. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.