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Daily Interactions With Aging Parents and Adult Children: Implications for Well-being and Cortisol

Year: 2017

Type: conference-abstract

Abstract: Midlife individuals report greater investment in their children than in their parents. Little is known about daily experiences in these ties, and the psychological and biological systems that may underlie these associations. The present study examined daily experiences with aging parents and adult children and implications of those experiences for daily negative affect and cortisol. Participants were middle-aged adults (N = 156; 56% women) from the Family Exchange Study Wave 2 who completed a 7-day daily diary study and 4 days of saliva collection which was assayed for cortisol. Individuals reported more contact but fewer negative experiences with adult children than with parents. Nevertheless, contact and negative experiences with adult children were more consistently associated with negative affect and daily cortisol patterns than interactions with parents. Findings are consistent with the intra-individual stake hypothesis which suggests that individuals are more invested in relationships with their children than their parents.

Source: Innovation in Aging

DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igx004.040

Authors: K. Birditt, J. Manalel, K. Kim, S. Zarit, K.L. Fingerman

Institutions: University of Michigan, Institute for Social Research, University of Massachusetts Boston, Pennsylvania State University, The University of Texas at Austin

Language: English

Topic: Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,977

OpenAlex ID: W2730527513

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