Analysis

The analysis of the Maternal Emotional Style Questionnaire (MESQ) involves statistical processing of responses provided by participating mothers. This process may include the calculation of means, standard deviations, and the execution of factor analyses to identify the core dimensions of emotional style. Additionally, developmental analyses may be used to determine how maternal emotional style affects other variables, such as parenting behavior and children’s emotional development.

Objective

The main objective of the MESQ is to provide a reliable and valid tool for assessing maternal emotional styles. It helps in understanding how mothers manage their own emotions and how this influences their relationship with their children. The information collected through the MESQ can be used to develop intervention programs aimed at improving emotional responses and parenting behavior.

Scoring

Scoring of the MESQ is performed through procedures that ensure the reliability and validity of the tool. Initially, the questionnaire is tested on a representative sample to assess the internal consistency of the scales. Then, test-retest reliability analyses are conducted to verify the stability of responses over time. Factor analysis techniques are also employed to confirm the structure of the questionnaire.

References

Katz, L. F., & Gottman, J. M. (1991). “Patterns of marital interaction and children’s emotional development.” Journal of Family Psychology, 5(1), 22–36.
This study examines the impact of parental emotional interaction, using tools like the MESQ to understand how maternal emotional styles influence children’s development.
Davidov, M., & Grusec, J. E. (2006). “Untangling the links of parental responsiveness to distress and warmth to child outcomes.” Child Development, 77(1), 44–58.
This study uses the MESQ to explore relationships between maternal emotional responsiveness and positive child outcomes such as emotional security and social competence.
Eisenberg, N., Fabes, R. A., & Murphy, B. C. (1996). “Parents’ reactions to children’s negative emotions: Relations to children’s social competence and comforting behavior.” Child Development, 67(5), 2227–2247.
This article investigates how parents’ emotional responses, as measured by tools like the MESQ, relate to children’s social skills and comforting behaviors.
Gottman, J. M., Katz, L. F., & Hooven, C. (1997). Meta-emotion: How families communicate emotionally. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
This book presents the theoretical framework and development of the MESQ, providing detailed information on its use in research on family communication and children’s emotional development.
Katz, L. F., & Windecker-Nelson, B. (2004). “Parental meta-emotion philosophy and the emotional life of families: Theoretical models and preliminary data.” Journal of Family Psychology, 18(1), 167–175.
This study explores how parental emotional philosophies, as measured by the MESQ, influence family life and emotional experiences.