Parental emotional expression and children's oral narrative ability: a systematic review

This study aims to systematically examine the relationship between parental emotional expression and children's oral narrative abilities, as well as the developmental trends in this research field. Based on the Scopus database and adhering to PRISMA principles, 81 articles published between 2010 and 2025 were selected. A combined approach of bibliometric analysis and thematic analysis was employed for the investigation. The bibliometric analysis revealed an overall upward trend in research activity within this field, with peaks in 2015 and 2021. Recent years have witnessed shifts in research focus and methodologies. Themes have gradually expanded from general language development to emotional socialization and family interactions, demonstrating interdisciplinary convergence. Thematic analysis indicates that parental emotional expression influences children's oral narrative development through multiple pathways, including the family literacy environment, digital devices, parent-child interaction, and cultural background. Positive emotional expression and high-quality parent-child interactions promote language richness and emotional depth in children's narratives, whereas negative or absent emotional expression may inhibit their language organization abilities. Research indicates that parental emotional expression exerts both direct and indirect effects on children's narrative abilities. Future studies should strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration by integrating perspectives from psychology, education, and digital technology to deepen understanding of the mechanisms through which the family emotional environment influences children's language development.