Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Intergenerational Transfers: Associations with Adult Children’s Emotional Support of Their Parents

  • Published:
Journal of Adult Development Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study investigates how different factors in regard to intergenerational relationships are associated with emotional support given by adults to their parents. The analysis focuses on adult children and their parents in a representative German sample. Data were obtained from the second wave of the German Family Panel (pairfam) consisting of 2064 women and 1841 men. Results show that transfer of emotional support by the adult children was especially associated not only with received emotional support from parents, but also with affection, conflicts, and expectations concerning parents. A moderator analysis focuses on gender and showed differences for the association between given support by adults and conflicts between mothers and fathers. For the offspring, no gender effects were found.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alt, C. (1994). Reziprozität von Eltern-Kind-Beziehungen in Mehrgenerationennetzwerken [Reciprocity in the parent-child relationship in multigenerational networks]. In W. Bien (Ed.), Eigeninteresse oder Solidarität. Beziehungen in modernen Mehrgenerationenfamilien [Self-interest or solidarity. Relations in modern multi-generational families] (pp. 197–222). Opladen: Leske + Budrich.

    Google Scholar 

  • Antonucci, T. C. (1985). Personal characteristics, social support, and social behavior. In R. H. Binstock & E. Shanas (Eds.), Handbook of aging and social sciences (pp. 94–128). New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bengtson, V. L., & Roberts, R. E. L. (1991). Intergenerational solidarity in aging families: An example of formal theory construction. Journal of Marriage and Family, 53, 856–870.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Birditt, K. S., Miller, L. M., Fingerman, K. L., & Lefkowitz, E. S. (2009). Tension in the parent and adult child relationship: Links to solidarity and ambivalence. Psychology and Aging, 24, 287–295.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brandt, M., Deindl, C., Haberkern, K., & Szydlik, M. (2008). Reziprozität zwischen erwachsenen Generationen: Familiale Transfers im Lebenslauf [Reciprocity betweenadult generations: Family transfers over the life course]. Zeitschrift für Gerontologie und Geriatrie, 41, 374–381.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, T. A. (2006). Confirmatory factor analysis for applied research. New York: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bucx, F., van Wel, F., & Knijn, T. (2012). Life course status and exchanges of support between young adults and parents. Journal of Marriage and Family, 74, 101–115.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buhl, H. M. (2009). My mother: My best friend? Adults’ relationships with significant others across the lifespan. Journal of Adult Development, 16, 239–249.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fingerman, K. L., Chen, P. C., Hay, E., Cichy, K. E., & Lefkowitz, E. S. (2006). Ambivalent reactions in the parent and offspring relationship. Journal of Gerontoloy, 61, 152–160.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fingerman, K. L., Miller, L., Birditt, K. S., & Zarit, S. (2009). Giving to the good and the needy: Parental support of grown children. Journal of Marriage and Family, 71, 1220–1233.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fingerman, K. L., Pitzer, L. M., Chan, W., Birditt, K., Franks, M. M., & Zarit, S. (2010). Who gets what and why? Help middle-aged adults provide to parents and grown children. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 66, 87–98.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gouldner, A. W. (1960). The norm of reciprocity: A preliminary statement. American Sociological Review, 25, 161–178.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hu, L., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 6, 1–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huinink, J., Brüderl, J., Nauck, B., Walper, S., Castiglioni, L., & Feldhaus, M. (2011). Panel analysis of intimate relationships and family dynamics (pairfam): Conceptual framework and design. Zeitschrift für Familienforschung, 23, 77–101.

    Google Scholar 

  • Klaus, D. (2007). Werte von Kindern und Eltern: Befunde der Zusatzbefragung des Pairfam-Minipanels. [Value of children and parents: Results from the pairfam-minipanel]. Working paper No. 10, TU Chemnitz.

  • Klaus, D. (2009). Why do adult children support their parents? Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 40, 227–241.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kline, R. B. (2011). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling. New York: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohli, M., & Künemund, H. (2003). Intergenerational transfers in family: What motivates giving? In V. L. Bengtson & A. Lowenstein (Eds.), Global aging and challenges to families (pp. 123–142). New York: Aldine de Gruyter.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohli, M., Künemund, H., Motel, A., & Szydlik, M. (2000). Generationenbeziehungen [Intergenerational relations]. In M. Kohli & H. Künemund (Eds.), Die zweite Lebenshälfte: Gesellschaftliche Lage und Partizipation in Spiegel des Alters-Survey [The second half of life: Social status and participation as reflected in the ageing survey.] (pp. 176–211). Opladen: Leske + Budrich.

    Google Scholar 

  • Künemund, H., & Motel, A. (2000). Verbreitung, Motivation und Entwicklungsperspektiven privater intergenerationeller Hilfeleistungen und Transfers. [Distribution, motivation and possibilities of development of private intergenerational supports and transfers]. In M. Kohli & M. Szydlik (Eds.), Generationen in Familien und Gesellschaft [Generations in families and the society] (pp. 122–137). Opladen: Leske + Budrich.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Little, T. D., Cunningham, W. A., Shahar, G., & Widaman, K. F. (2009). To parcel or not to parcel: Exploring the question, weighing the merits. Structural Equation Modeling, 9, 151–173.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lowenstein, A., & Daatland, S. O. (2006). Filial norms and family support in a comparative cross-national context: Evidence from the OASIS study. Ageing & Society, 26, 203–223.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lüscher, K., & Pillemer, K. (1998). Intergenerational ambivalence: A new approach to the study of parent-child relations in later life. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 60, 413–425.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lye, D. N. (1996). Adult child-parent relationships. Annual Review of Sociology, 22, 79–102.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lynch, S. A. (1998). Who supports whom? How age and gender affect the perceived quality of support from family and friends. The Gerontologist, 38, 231–238.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nauck, B., Brüderl, J., Huinink, J., & Walper, S. (2013). Beziehungs-und Familienpanel (3.1.0) [Data file and codebook]. Köln: GESIS Datenarchiv. https://doi.org/10.4232/pairfam.5678.3.1.0.

  • Parrot, T. M., & Bengtson, V. L. (1999). The effects of earlier intergenerational affection, normative expectations, and family conflict on contemporary exchange of help and support. Research on Aging, 21, 73–105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rossi, A. S., & Rossi, P. H. (1990). Of human bonding: Parent-child relations across the life course. Hawthorne: Aldine de Gruyter.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schermelleh-Engel, K., Moosbrugger, H., & Müller, H. (2003). Evaluating the fit of structural equation models: Test of significance and descriptive goodness-of-fit measures. Methods of Psychological Research, 8, 23–74.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmahl, F., Wilhelm, B., Fiedrich, S., Wendt, E. V., Thönnissen, C., & Walper, S. (2012). Pairfam: Scales manual, wave 1–3, 3.0.

  • Schulz, R. (1996). Die Reziprozität als konstitutives Merkmal. [Reciprocity as a constitutive feature of social networks]. Zeitschrift für Bevölkerungswissenschaften, 21, 263–280.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwarz, B. (2006). Adult daughters’ family structure and the association between reciprocity and relationship quality. Journal of Family Issues, 27, 208–226.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwarz, B., Trommsdorff, G., Albert, I., & Mayer, B. (2005). Adult parent-child relationships: Quality, support, and reciprocity. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 54, 396–417.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Silverstein, M., & Bengtson, V. L. (1997). Intergenerational solidarity and the structure of adult child-parent relationships in American families. American Journal of Sociology, 103, 429–460.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Silverstein, M., Conroy, S. J., & Gans, D. (2012). Beyond solidarity, reciprocity and altruism: Moral capital as unifying concept in intergenerational support for older people. Ageing & Society, 32, 1246–1262.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Silverstein, M., Conroy, S. J., Wang, H., Giarrusso, R., & Bengtson, V. L. (2002). Reciprocity in parent–child relations over the adult life course. The Journals of Gerontology, 57, 3–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Silverstein, M., Gans, D., & Yang, F. M. (2006). Intergenerational support to aging parents: The role of norms and needs. Journal of Family Issues, 27, 1068–1084.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Silverstein, M., Parrott, T., & Bengtson, V. L. (1995). Factors that predispose middle-ages sons and daughters to provide social support to older parents. Journal of Marriage & the Family, 57, 465–475.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stein, C. H. (1992). Ties that bind: Three studies of obligation in adult relationships with family. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 9, 535–547.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stuifbergen, M. C., Delden, J. J. M., & Dykstra, P. A. (2008). The implications of today’s family structures for support giving to older parents. Ageing & Society, 28, 413–434.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stuifbergen, M. C., Dykstra, P. A., Lanting, K. N., & Delden, J. J. M. (2010). Autonomy in an ascribed relationship: The case of adult children and elderly parents. Journal of Aging Studies, 24, 257–265.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Szydlik, M. (2000) Lebenslange Solidarität? Generationenbeziehungen zwischen erwachsenen Kindern und Eltern [Lifelong solidarity? Intergenerational relations between adult children and parents]. Opladen: Leske + Budrich.

    Google Scholar 

  • Szydlik, M. (2008). Intergenerational solidarity and conflict. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 39, 97–114.

    Google Scholar 

  • van Gaalen, R. I., & Dykstra, P. A. (2006). Solidarity and conflict between adult children and parents: A latent class analysis. Journal of Marriage and Family, 68, 947–960.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Educational and Development Psychology, Paderborn University, Warburger Str. 100, 33098, Paderborn, Germany

    Sabrina Sommer & Heike M. Buhl

Authors
  1. Sabrina Sommer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Heike M. Buhl
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sabrina Sommer.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Sommer, S., Buhl, H.M. Intergenerational Transfers: Associations with Adult Children’s Emotional Support of Their Parents. J Adult Dev 25, 286–296 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-018-9296-y

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-018-9296-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation