The study used a cross-sectional design to explore the role of anxiety in emotional expression (EE) and emotional flexibility (EF) in parent-child dyads. The sample comprised 128 children with an anxiety disorder (AD) and their parents, and a comparison group of 44 children without an anxiety disorder (and their parents). Children were recruited from a randomised-controlled trial in the Netherlands. Inclusion criteria (e.g. children aged 8 -18 years) and exclusion criteria (e.g. current substance abuse) were specified.
Father-child and mother-child dyads were video-taped discussing topics that received the highest ratings on the Issue Checklist; a self-report questionnaire that lists 44 day-to-day issues and asks respondents to rate the frequency they are discussed and the intensity of anger they provoke. The Simple Affect Coding System was used to quantify the emotional content of the recorded dyadic interactions. Using computer software (Gridware 1.15a), the researchers analysed the data from each dyad in two conceptual domains: EE and EF. EE was operationalised as the duration of time that positive and negative affect was expressed during interactions. EF was operationalised as the number of changes in emotional states the dyads exhibited; the variety of emotional states observed; and the length of time each dyad spent in different emotional states.
Compared to the comparison group, the authors hypothesised that dyads with a child with an AD would exhibit more negative affect; less positive affect; and less EF. Although the researchers did not specify additional hypotheses, they explored the role of parental AD and differences between father-child and mother-child dyads (in terms of EE and EF). Primarily, statistical data analysis was conducted using mixed ANOVAs.
Results showed that, compared to the comparison group, EF was lower in dyads containing an anxious child. However, no differences in EE were found between these two groups. In dyads comprising an anxious mother and child, EE was higher and EF was lower than it was in non-anxious, mother-child dyads, or in dyads where only the child was anxious.