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Cited by 158Intergenerational Family Dynamics and CaregivingAttachment and Relationship DynamicsFamily Dynamics and Relationships

Tensions in the parent and adult child relationship: Links to solidarity and ambivalence.

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Birditt, Kira S., Miller, Laura M., Fingerman, Karen L., Lefkowitz, Eva S.·2009·Psychology and Aging
DOI 10.1037/a0015196PMC PMC2690709
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Abstract

Tensions are normative in the parent and adult child relationship, but there is little research on the topics that cause the most tension or whether tensions are associated with overall relationship quality. In this study, adult sons and daughters, age 22 to 49, and their mothers and fathers (N = 158 families, 474 individuals) reported the intensity of different tension topics and relationship quality (solidarity and ambivalence) with one another. Tensions varied between and within families by generation, gender, and age of offspring. Compared to tensions regarding individual issues, tensions regarding the relationship were associated with lower affective solidarity and greater ambivalence. Findings are consistent with the developmental schism hypothesis, which indicates that parent-child tensions are common and are the result of discrepancies in developmental needs that vary by generation, gender, and age.

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  • When a father-child pair feel distant from each other, they can be more likely to argue with each other out of dissatisfaction with the strained relationship.

    “This is possibly because when a father-child pair feel distant from each other, they can be more likely to argue with each other out of dissatisfaction with the strained relationship (Birditt et al., 2009).”

    From Humanoid Agents: Platform for Simulating Human-like Generative Agents (2023) · cites this paper as Birditt et al., 2009

    The Results section, “Tensions, Affective Solidarity, and Ambivalence” (page unavailable), reports that more intense relationship tensions were associated with less affective solidarity, which includes emotional closeness. But it does not establish that distance causes arguments through dissatisfaction, or report that mechanism specifically for father–child pairs. The Discussion section, “Tensions by Generation, Gender and Age” (page unavailable), instead reports that offspring perceived more intense relationship tensions with mothers than with fathers. (LLM, conf=0.82)

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1 of the 65 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. Singer JD Willett JB Applied longitudinal data analysis 2003 Oxford University Press New York

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Related

Authors
Birditt, K. S., Miller, L. M., Fingerman, K. L., & Lefkowitz, E. S.
Affiliations
  • University of Michigan (US)
  • Purdue University West Lafayette (US)
  • Pennsylvania State University (US)
Corresponding author
Birditt, Kira S.
ORCID
Venue
Psychology and Aging
Publisher
American Psychological Association (APA)
Published
2009
Volume
24
Issue
2
Pages
287-295
ISSN
  • 0882-7974 (ISSN-L)
  • 1939-1498
DOI
10.1037/a0015196
PMC
PMC2690709
OpenAlex
W2155939951
Cited by
158
References
65
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 17 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 16 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 12
FWCI
27.06
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Psychology and Aging (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
National Institute on Aging (R01AG17916; R01 AG027769)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
  • Social Sciences › Demography › Family Dynamics and Relationships
Keywords
parent-child relationship, intergenerational conflict, affective solidarity, ambivalence, relationship quality, adult children, parents, generational differences, gender differences, development needs
MeSH terms
Adaptation, Psychological, Adult, Conflict, Psychological, Emotions, Father-Child Relations, Female, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Male, Middle Aged, Mother-Child Relations, Mothers, Parent-Child Relations, Parents, Sex Factors, Social Perception, Stress, Psychological, Intergenerational Relations, Adult Children

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