Parental Beliefs About Children's Emotions: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Norwegian and Russian Parents

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to develop a questionnaire to assess parental beliefs about children's emotions and to investigate how culture influences these beliefs by assessing parents in Moscow, Russia and Oslo, Norway. Method: The questionnaire assesses beliefs about the development of children's emotional competencies and beliefs related to cultural dimensions based on the Hofstede model. Questions were developed through in-depth discussions with experts, collaborators and target group representatives (parents). In total, 300 parents of children between the age of 4 and 10 years participated in the study. Results: The Hofstede dimensions seem relevant as a framework for measuring parental beliefs about emotions both across and within countries. Analyses within Norway showed small to medium main effects of gender. Norwegian mothers tended to hold beliefs about emotions that are more individualistic, feminine, higher on uncertainty avoidance and more short term oriented. Compared to fathers, mothers also had a tendency to believe their children develop emotional competencies slightly earlier. Parents of both genders seem to agree on beliefs about indulgence and power distance within Norway. Cross-cultural comparison indicated that cultural belonging had a clear influence on parental beliefs. Russian parents were found to hold emotional beliefs that are more collectivistic, power distant, masculine, long term oriented, and restrained than Norwegian parents. Norwegian and Russian parents tended to hold similar beliefs about emotions on the dimension of Uncertainty Avoidance. Norwegian parents tended to believe that children develop emotional competencies slightly earlier compared to Russian parents. The present study is a step towards an approach that takes cultural complexity into account by providing researchers and professionals with a tool to investigate the diversity of emotional beliefs.