Emotion Socialization in Chinese Migrant Families and Its Associations With Children′s Emotional and Psychological Functioning: A Systematic Review

Background The role of parents in shaping child emotion regulation has been extensively studied in Western countries (e.g., United States and Australia). However, Western studies tend to have predominantly White/Caucasian samples. Much less is known about associations in Chinese migrant families within Western countries, given cultural differences and possible migration stress. Aims This systematic review is aimed at determining the association between acculturation, parent emotion socialization, and child emotional and psychological functioning in Chinese migrant families in Western countries. Method We conducted a systematic search of three databases (APA PsycINFO, MEDLINE Complete, and CINAHL) for peer‐reviewed English‐language articles published between 1996–2025. Nine studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the systematic review, representing 1,250 participants. Results Eight of the nine studies showed evidence for an association between more supportive parent emotion socialization (i.e., emotion coaching parent beliefs and parenting behaviors) and positive child psychological outcomes, with one of these studies also finding an association between more maternal nonsupportive reactions (i.e., punishment and minimization of children′s negative emotions) and more adaptive child outcomes. In contrast, one study found no evidence for any associations between parent emotion socialization and children′s outcomes. One study also found a positive association between higher acculturation to Western culture and more supportive parent emotion socialization. Conclusion We found weak to moderate evidence for associations between Chinese migrant parents′ supportive emotion socialization and positive child emotional and psychological functioning. Despite most of the studies finding these associations, the total number of studies found was low, with some of them using data from the same sample of Chinese parents, and all of them were conducted in the United States, with considerable variety in measurement, limiting comparisons. Further research with diverse samples/countries and consistent measurement would advance the field.