Adult Children's Problems and Successes: Implications for Intergenerational Ambivalence

被引:116
作者
Birditt, Kira S. [1 ]
Fingerman, Karen L. [2 ]
Zarit, Steven H. [3 ]
机构
[1] Univ Michigan, Inst Social Res, Life Course Dev Program, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 USA
[2] Purdue Univ, W Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
[3] Penn State Univ, Dept Human Dev & Family Studies, University Pk, PA 16802 USA
来源
JOURNALS OF GERONTOLOGY SERIES B-PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES | 2010年 / 65卷 / 02期
关键词
Ambivalence; Gender; Intergenerational relations; Problems; Successes; AGING PARENTS; ELDERLY PARENTS; MOTHERS; LIFE; SOLIDARITY; TIES; ME;
D O I
10.1093/geronb/gbp125
中图分类号
R592 [老年病学]; C [社会科学总论];
学科分类号
03 ; 0303 ; 100203 ;
摘要
Ambivalence theory suggests that parents experience ambivalence due to conflicting desires to help children in need and to launch children into adulthood. This study examined parents' reports of their adult children's problems and successes and implications for ambivalence. Participants aged 40-60 years (302 men and 331 women from different families) reported on up to 3 of their adult children (N = 1,251). Men and women differentiated among children in ratings of problems, successes, and ambivalence. Men and not women reported greater ambivalence regarding children with more physical-emotional problems and less career success. Men and women reported greater ambivalence regarding children with less relationship success. Consistent with ambivalence theory, individuals feel more ambivalent regarding problematic and less successful children but men's ambivalence appears to be more sensitive to their children's problems and successes than women's ambivalence.
引用
收藏
页码:145 / 153
页数:9
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