Effects of social interaction and children's relative inputs on older women's psychological well-being

This study examines the influence of social interaction and relative inputs of parent and children (as perceived by the other) on older women's social and psychological well-being and their satisfaction with their children. The sample consisted of 719 Anglo-American women between the ages of 60 and 75. Half of the women were widows and the other half were currently married and were living with a spouse. For each marital status group the sample was further stratified so that approximately half of the women selected were childless and half had living children. Multiple regression analysis of survey results revealed that contact with other relatives, friends, and associates was more important for older women's well-being than was contact with children and that well-being was enhanced by quality, as compared to quantity, of interaction. Perceived quality of child contact also appeared to be influenced by the women's perceptions of other social relationships. Weak support for equity theory explanations of relationship satisfaction was found: If children provided much better input to the relationship than did the parent, distress and dissatisfaction were likely to exist for the parent. Finally, whereas for women with children amount of interaction appeared unimportant (perhaps because most parents had a certain level of minimal contact with others), for childless women amount, as well as quality, of contact with others was positively related to well-being.