Emotional Regulation in Children: Practices and Myths in the Indian Cultural Perspective

Abstract

This review examines emotional regulation (ER) development in Indian children within familial contexts, integrating cultural influences and parenting practices. Cultural factors significantly determine adaptive ER strategies, with Indian parents emphasising positive affect modulation and proactive reactivity. Evidence-based findings challenge Western normative assumptions, including the notion that expressive suppression is universally maladaptive. The paper identifies key misconceptions in Indian emotional socialisation, such as the myth of a singular normative family and misinterpretations of expressive suppression. Understanding culture-specific ER practices is essential for developing contextually appropriate interventions that promote children’s psychological well-being in a globalised society.