Do Older Adults' Network Members Continue to Provide Instrumental Support in Unbalanced Relationships?

Abstract

Exchange theory assumes that people strive towards a balance in their personal relationships. The question is why the balance is not restored in unbalanced relationships where older adults receive more instrumental support than they give. The data are from a longitudinal study of 408 older adults and 2044 of their network members. At T1, the older adults received more instrumental support than they gave in 335 (17%) of their relationships. The instrumental support balance in these relationships at T2 was also assessed. The results of a multilevel regression analysis show that network members continue giving support to older adults who are in poor health. If the network member is in poor health, the balance is likely to be restored. Four other reasons for continuing the imbalance were also examined. No evidence was found to back the idea that a lack of instrumental reciprocity could be compensated by the older adults giving more emotional support. The second hypothesis (that close relationships often involve social norms that make it difficult to withdraw from unreciprocated support giving) was confirmed: in kin relationships and friendships, the imbalance persisted over time, while neighbor and other non-kin relationships returned to balance. Thirdly, it was hypothesized that if there were a small number of alternative supporters, it would be hard to withdraw from unreciprocated support giving. However, it was found that if the network was small, the imbalance was not likely to endure. Finally, as predicted, if there was generalized network reciprocity, the balance in particular relationships was not restored.

Social support and life satisfaction among Hong Kong Chinese older adults: family first?

“…In particular, instrumental support from family members predicted life satisfaction only among older adults with high and moderate levels of familism, but not among those with low familism. This might be the case because receiving instrumental support involves accepting material or physical assistance, which may have a negative impact on psychological well-being (Reinhardt et al \) by showing the individual that he/she is dependent on and is a burden to the family (Ikkink and van-Tilburg 1998). In the case of older adults with a high or moderate level of familism, this may not be a problem because family members are treated as the in-group (Bardis 1959) and an extension of the self (Chan and Lee 1995).…”

Types of Non-kin Networks and Their Association With Survival in Late Adulthood: A Latent Class Approach

“…This reduction is partly explained by age-related life events, including job exit, relocation, and discontinuation of contact with in-laws and mutual friends after divorce or loss of a spouse. Furthermore, non-kin relations are typically less stable, as they ground on reciprocity, which may dissolve when interpersonal exchange is unbalanced (Klein Ikkink & van Tilburg, 1998).…”

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“…Consistent with such assumptions, it was shown that balanced relationships are associated with satisfaction whereas over-and under-benefit (i.e., imbalance) are related to negative outcomes. Naturally the perception of balance results from a subjective process that is influenced by various factors such as kinship and type of relationship, functional status as well as perceived time frame of reciprocation [61] .…”