The Impact of Family Communication Patterns on Emotional Regulation and Social Connectedness among Undergraduate and Postgraduate Students

Abstract

The present study explored how family communication patterns influence emotional regulation strategies—specifically cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression—and their association with social connectedness among undergraduate and postgraduate students. A total of 121 participants (60 undergraduates and 61 postgraduates) completed standardized self-report instruments: the Family Communication Scale (Olson & Barnes, 2010), the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (Gross & John, 2003), and the Social Connectedness Scale-Revised (Robbins, 1995). Statistical techniques, including Pearson’s correlation, independent samples t-test, and multiple regression analysis, were employed to examine the relationships among variables, differences between groups, and predictive capacities. Findings revealed that cognitive reappraisal was a positive predictor of social connectedness, while expressive suppression was a negative predictor. For undergraduates, family communication patterns, cognitive reappraisal, and social connectedness were significant predictors of suppression. In contrast, among postgraduates, suppression was found to significantly predict reappraisal. Additionally, family communication emerged as a significant predictor of suppression in the undergraduate group. Gender-based differences were also observed, with male students reporting higher use of both reappraisal and suppression strategies compared to females. These results highlight the varying patterns of emotional regulation between undergraduate and postgraduate students and underscore the role of family communication in shaping emotional regulation strategies and social connectedness across educational levels.