The Cultural Socialization of Emotion Regulation During Infancy

This article offers a conceptual framework for the study of the development of emotion regulation during infancy that synthesizes evolutionary theory with cultural psychology. Two prototypical environments are characterized: Western urban middle-class families and rural farmer families in non-Western societies. The adult psychologies that are adapted to these environments are oriented toward autonomy and relatedness, respectively. A combined methodological approach of quantitative and qualitative procedures demonstrates that the expression of emotions is differently embodied in these environments. Prototypes are composed from different data sets that exemplify socialization goals, parenting ethnotheories, and behavioral strategies. Developmental consequences of the early experiences in different learning environments are presented with respect to children’s emotion regulation during the approach of a stranger. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.