Ambivalent Reactions in the Parent and Offspring Relationship

Fingerman, Karen L.; Chen, Pei Chun; Hay, Elizabeth L.; Cichy, Kelly E.; Lefkowitz, Eva S.

doi:10.1093/geronb/61.3.p152

Cited by 113 publications

(169 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…It may be harder to capture some of the key components of ambivalence with survey measures compared to in-depth interviews, as may be the case with conflict, wherein a multiple domain approach might be more fruitful (Clarke et al, 1999). Also, the operationalization of ambivalence that was in its infancy when the OASIS study started is currently more developed (Fingerman, Chen, Hay, Cichy, & Lefkowitz, 2006), which might provide further insight for its understanding.…”

Section: Conclusion and Future Research Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Solidarity-Conflict and Ambivalence: Testing Two Conceptual Frameworks and Their Impact on Quality of Life for Older Family Members

Lowenstein¹

2007

The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences an

212

180

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Objectives. The purpose of this study was to test empirically two major conceptualizations of parent-child relations in later adulthood-intergenerational solidarity-conflict and ambivalence paradigms-and their predictive validity on elders' quality of life using comparative cross-national data.Methods. Data were from a sample of 2,064 elders (aged 75 and older) from the five-country OASIS study (Old Age and Autonomy: The Role of Service Systems and Intergenerational Family Solidarity; Norway, England, Germany, Spain, and Israel). Multivariate and block-recursive regression models estimated the predictivity of the two conceptualizations of family dynamics on quality of life controlling for country, personal characteristics, and activity of daily living functioning.Results. Descriptive analyses indicated that family solidarity, especially the affective/cognitive component (called Solidarity A), was high in all five countries, whereas conflict and ambivalence were low. When I entered all three constructs into the regression Solidarity A, reciprocal intergenerational support and ambivalence predicted quality of life. Controlling for activity of daily living functioning, socioeconomics status, and country, intergenerational relations had only a weak explanatory power, and personal resources explained most of the variance.Discussion. The data suggest that the three constructs exist simultaneously but in varying combinations, confirming that in cross-cultural contexts family cohesion predominates, albeit with low degrees of conflict and ambivalence. The solidarity construct evidenced relatively robust measurement. More work is required to enhance the ambivalence measurement. SOCIAL gerontology has witnessed few conceptual and theoretical conflicts since the debate over disengagement theory more than 40 years ago. Recently, however, a controversy has developed over two competing paradigms of parentchild relations in later life: the solidarity-conflict model versus the intergenerational ambivalence model. These offer different conceptual lenses for understanding complex family relationships in societies undergoing social change. They provide different ways to understand microlevel interpersonal relations and macrolevel structural forces and the interactions between them. The clash is between social psychologists, who developed and tested the longstanding solidarity-conflict paradigm (Bengtson & Roberts, 1991;Parrott & Bengtson, 1999); and critical theorists, who advocate applying the concept of ambivalence to intergenerational relationships (Connidis & McMullin, 2002b;Luescher & Pillemer, 1998).The premise of the solidarity-conflict model is that levels of cohesion and conflict predict parent-child relations and their consequences in later life; the ambivalence model states that adult intergenerational relations revolve around sociological and psychological contradictions. Further analysis of the two paradigms can enrich researchers' understanding of the complex social phenomena involved in family relations in later life...

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Section: Conclusion and Future Research Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Solidarity-Conflict and Ambivalence: Testing Two Conceptual Frameworks and Their Impact on Quality of Life for Older Family Members

Lowenstein¹

2007

The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences an

212

180

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…The current study includes the 158 offspring-mother-father triads who completed all phases of the study (N=474). As discussed elsewhere, this sub-sample did not differ from the larger sample on demographic or relationship characteristics (Fingerman et al 2006 Participants were recruited from five counties in the greater Philadelphia Metropolitan Statistical area. The majority of participants (85%) were recruited through either the offspring or the parents using purchased lists of phone numbers.…”

Section: Participantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Generational Differences in Gender Attitudes Between Parents and Grown Offspring

2007

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This study examined generational differences in gender attitudes between parents and grown offspring, including the extent to which these differences vary in families with daughters vs families with sons and in African American vs European American families. Participants included 158 African American and European American men and women (aged 22 to 49 years), their mothers, and their fathers (N=474) recruited predominantly through purchased telephone lists. Participants completed a self-report measure of gender attitudes toward marital and childrearing roles. Mixed method ANOVAs revealed offspring were less traditional than parents, although there were greater generational differences in attitudes between mothers and daughters and in European American families. Findings are discussed in terms of implications for family roles and relationships.

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“…Kloth (2005) claimed that inconsistent parenting was one of the factors that explain the negative effect of divorce on the psychological adjustment of the children. Recently, Fingerman et al (2006) found a significant association between ambivalence and neuroticism of adult men and women.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parental Inconsistency: A Third Cross-Cultural Research on Parenting and Psychological Adjustment of Children

Dwairy

2009

J Child Fam Stud

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Inconsistency in parenting is a factor that may influence children's mental health. A questionnaire, measuring three parental inconsistencies (temporal, situational, and father-mother inconsistency) was administered to adolescents in nine countries to assess its association with adolescents' psychological disorders. The results show that parental inconsistency varies across cultures. Temporal inconsistency is not correlated with the other two inconsistencies. Temporal and father-mother inconsistencies, but not the situational inconsistency, were associated with adolescents' psychological disorders. The associations between parental inconsistency and psychological disorders differed across cultures.

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Ambivalent Reactions in the Parent and Offspring Relationship

Cited by 113 publications

References 39 publications

Solidarity-Conflict and Ambivalence: Testing Two Conceptual Frameworks and Their Impact on Quality of Life for Older Family Members

Solidarity-Conflict and Ambivalence: Testing Two Conceptual Frameworks and Their Impact on Quality of Life for Older Family Members

Generational Differences in Gender Attitudes Between Parents and Grown Offspring

Parental Inconsistency: A Third Cross-Cultural Research on Parenting and Psychological Adjustment of Children

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