Thiele Dianne M, Whelan Thomas A
Dept of Psychology, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
Int J Aging Hum Dev. 2008;66(1):21-48. doi: 10.2190/AG.66.1.b.
This study investigated predictors of grandparent satisfaction. Participants were 149 non-custodial grandparents (100 grandmothers, 49 grandfathers) aged up to 80 years. They completed grandparent satisfaction, meaning, and generativity scales, and indicated levels of weekly childcare contact with grandchildren. As expected, increasing levels of generativity predicted greater satisfaction, as did valued elder and centrality meanings. Unexpectedly, reinvolvement, immortality, and indulgence meanings were not predictors, nor was childcare contact. There was only partial support for grandparent gender as a predictor: being a grandmother predicted greater satisfaction, but this effect disappeared when the meaning and generativity variables were included in the analysis. In conclusion, the findings highlight the significance the role can have for many grandparents. Grandparenting can be satisfying because it provides a sense of purpose, and feeling of being valued during middle and later life when generative developmental needs are greatest.
本研究调查了祖父母满意度的预测因素。参与者为149名非监护祖父母（100名祖母，49名祖父），年龄最大80岁。他们完成了祖父母满意度、意义和繁衍量表，并表明了每周与孙辈的育儿接触水平。正如预期的那样，繁衍水平的提高预示着更高的满意度，被重视的长辈身份和核心意义也是如此。出乎意料的是，重新参与、不朽和纵容的意义不是预测因素，育儿接触也不是。对于祖父母性别作为预测因素，只有部分支持：作为祖母预示着更高的满意度，但当在分析中纳入意义和繁衍变量时，这种效应就消失了。总之，研究结果凸显了该角色对许多祖父母可能具有的重要性。为人祖父母可能会令人满意，因为它在中年及晚年产生性发展需求最为强烈时，提供了一种目标感和被重视的感觉。
