Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2011 Jan;66(1):87-98. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbq009. Epub 2010 Mar 11.
Middle-aged adults engage in support exchanges with generations above and below. This study investigated (a) how support to one generation is associated with support to the other and (b) factors accounting for whether parents or offspring receive more support in a family.
Middle-aged adults aged 40-60 years (N = 633) completed telephone interviews regarding their relationships and support exchanges with each grown child and living parent.
Multilevel models revealed that most participants provided more support to the average grown child than to the average parent. Yet, a proportion of the sample reversed this pattern, providing more support to parents. Mediation models revealed that middle-aged adults provided greater support to offspring because they viewed offspring as more important than parents and offspring had greater everyday needs (e.g., being a student, not married). Parental disability accounted for greater support to parents.
Discussion integrates solidarity theory, developmental stake, and contingency theory. Most middle-aged adults provide more to grown offspring than to parents, consistent with their greater stake in their progeny. Middle-aged adults also respond to crises (i.e., parental disability) and everyday needs (i.e., offspring student status) in providing intergenerational support, in accordance with contingency theory.
中年人与上下两代人进行支持交流。本研究调查了(a)对一代的支持如何与对另一代的支持相关,以及(b)在家庭中解释父母或子女获得更多支持的因素。
年龄在 40-60 岁的中年成年人(N=633)完成了有关他们与每个成年子女和在世父母的关系和支持交流的电话访谈。
多层次模型显示,大多数参与者为平均成年子女提供的支持多于为平均父母提供的支持。然而,样本中有一部分人则相反,为父母提供了更多的支持。中介模型显示,中年成年人为子女提供更多的支持,是因为他们认为子女比父母更重要,而且子女有更大的日常需求(例如,是学生,未婚)。父母的残疾程度解释了对父母的更多支持。
讨论整合了团结理论、发展利益和权变理论。大多数中年成年人对成年子女的支持多于对父母的支持,这与他们对后代的更大利益一致。中年成年人也根据权变理论,在提供代际支持时应对危机(即父母残疾)和日常需求(即子女学生身份)。