Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 28, 2026
07:56
Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure
Published on: September 19, 2019
10.9K
Aging Parents' Daily Support Exchanges With Adult Children Suffering Problems
Meng Huo1, Jamie L Graham1, Kyungmin Kim2
1Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin.
Summary
When adult children face problems, aging parents provide more support. Supporting children with difficulties may actually improve parents' daily mood, contrary to prior beliefs.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Family Studies
- Psychology
Background:
- Adult children's life problems often lead aging parents to provide more support.
- Previous research indicates this support provision is linked to poorer parental well-being.
- The daily impact of children's problems on parental support exchanges and mood remains under-explored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how adult children's problems influence daily support exchanges between parents and children.
- To examine the effect of these daily exchanges on aging parents' mood.
- To understand the nuances of parent-child relationships in later life.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Family Exchanges Study Wave 2 (N=207, Mage=79.86).
- Aging parents reported daily provision and receipt of emotional, practical support, and advice from adult children over 7 days.
- Parents also rated their daily positive and negative mood.
Main Results:
- Aging parents provided more emotional and practical support to children experiencing problems.
- Parents received more emotional support and advice from children facing difficulties.
- Parents reported less negative mood on days they provided practical support to children with problems.
Conclusions:
- Daily support exchanges offer a dynamic view of parent-child relationships in aging.
- Contrary to expectations, actively supporting adult children through problems may buffer negative mood in aging parents.
- This suggests a potential benefit for parents engaging in supportive roles during children's crises.
More Related Videos
06:52Assessment of Dependence in Activities of Daily Living Among Older Patients in an Acute Care Unit
Published on: September 30, 2020
10.8K
08:25Collecting Saliva and Measuring Salivary Cortisol and Alpha-amylase in Frail Community Residing Older Adults via Family Caregivers
Published on: December 18, 2013
12.2K
Related Concept Videos
01:29Relationship with Other Adult Family Members and Siblings
215
Other adult family members and siblings play a crucial role in shaping children’s social and emotional development. While parents or primary caregivers are often the central figures in early attachment and socialization, other adults in a child’s life, such as grandparents, aunts, and uncles, can significantly influence developmental outcomes. These influences depend on each adult’s personality and may help compensate when a primary caregiver is emotionally distant or...
215
01:30Family Therapy
672
Family therapy conceptualizes psychological challenges as arising from dysfunctional interactions within the family unit, rather than as isolated issues within individuals. This approach seeks to address and transform the patterns of communication, roles, and relationships within families to promote healthier dynamics and emotional well-being for all members.
Strategic Family Therapy
Strategic family therapy emphasizes resolving communication barriers and improving problem-solving abilities...
Strategic Family Therapy
Strategic family therapy emphasizes resolving communication barriers and improving problem-solving abilities...
672
01:27Erikson's Theory on Socioemotional Development during Adulthood
1.1K
Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development outlines a series of stages through which individuals progress across the lifespan. Each stage involves a psychosocial conflict that significantly influences personal growth and well-being. Three key stages — intimacy versus isolation, generativity versus stagnation, and integrity versus despair — highlight the developmental challenges faced in adulthood.
Intimacy Versus Isolation in Early Adulthood
Individuals in early...
Intimacy Versus Isolation in Early Adulthood
Individuals in early...
1.1K
01:27Coping Strategies: Problem Focused
579
Coping strategies are methods people use to manage, tolerate, or reduce the effects of stressors. These strategies involve both behavioral and psychological actions to handle stressful situations. One common approach is problem-focused coping, which aims to change or eliminate the source of stress rather than merely addressing its consequences. This method involves taking direct action to resolve the issue causing stress.
For example, consider a student who struggles to understand their...
For example, consider a student who struggles to understand their...
579
01:30Cognitive Development During Adulthood
988
Cognitive development continues throughout adulthood, undergoing significant shifts across early, middle, and late stages. Individual transition occurs from adolescent idealism to pragmatic and adaptable thinking in early adulthood. During this period, individuals learn to integrate personal beliefs with the recognition that other perspectives are equally valid. Exposure to the complexities of modern society, diverse experiences, and higher education contribute to this adaptive thought process,...
988
01:28Relationship with Parents: Attachment
294
Parent-child interactions lay the foundation for how we understand relationships throughout life. These interactions are not uniform across families; instead, they are shaped by a range of environmental, emotional, and behavioral factors unique to each caregiver-child dynamic. Social psychologists study these early relationships to understand how patterns formed in infancy influence social functioning and interpersonal behavior in adulthood.Attachment Theory and Early Relational ModelsJohn...
294