Pratt Michael W, Norris Joan E, Cressman Kate, Lawford Heather, Hebblethwaite Shannon
Department of Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3C5.
J Pers. 2008 Jun;76(3):581-604. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-6494.2008.00497.x. Epub 2008 Apr 8.
Adults' level of Eriksonian generativity in midlife has been shown to predict variations in parenting, but there has been less research on its relation to inter generational processes in the three-generational family. As part of a larger study, a sample of 35 Canadian mothers and fathers described a particular, salient child-rearing problem with grandparents when their first-born children were 8 years old. Descriptions were rated for severity of the problem, anger/irritation, optimism about solution, and forgiveness of the grandparent's behavior. Generativity data were collected by a standard questionnaire (the Loyola Generativity Scale of McAdams; McAdams & de St. Aubin, 1992). Results showed few gender differences, though mothers tended to be angrier than fathers with the grandparents. More mature parents were more forgiving than younger parents and saw problems as less serious, as predicted. Finally, parent level of generativity predicted maternal and paternal forgiveness of grandparent behaviors, as well as paternal, but not maternal, optimism about problem outcomes. Parental generativity may thus serve to encourage greater forgiveness and optimism among the generations of the family.
研究表明，成年人中年时期的埃里克森繁衍感水平能够预测养育方式的差异，但关于其与三代同堂家庭中代际过程的关系，研究相对较少。作为一项更大规模研究的一部分，对35位加拿大父母进行了抽样调查，让他们描述在其第一个孩子8岁时，与祖父母之间一个特别突出的育儿问题。对这些描述从问题的严重程度、愤怒/恼怒程度、对解决方案的乐观程度以及对祖父母行为的宽容程度进行评分。繁衍感数据通过一份标准问卷（麦克亚当斯的洛约拉繁衍感量表；麦克亚当斯和德·圣奥宾，1992年）收集。结果显示，性别差异不大，不过母亲往往比父亲对祖父母更生气。正如所预测的那样，更成熟的父母比年轻父母更宽容，并且认为问题没那么严重。最后，父母的繁衍感水平预测了父母对祖父母行为的宽容程度，以及父亲（而非母亲）对问题结果的乐观程度。因此，父母的繁衍感可能有助于在家庭各代成员之间促进更多的宽容和乐观态度。
