Memories of parental favoritism and the quality of parent-child ties in adulthood.

Abstract

In order to better understand which factors contribute to variations in the quality of adult child-parent bonds, this study considered parental unfairness in the treatment of offspring during childhood. Using social exchange, self-esteem maintenance, and socialization models to predict different outcomes, memories of least favored status (LFS) were examined in relation to affectional intergenerational solidarity. A secondary analysis of a Swedish data set was conducted. Parent-child dyads were studied within three-generational lineages consisting of a grandmother (G1), her adult child (G2), and the grandchild (G3). Comparing parents and children, ratings of LFS were more predictive of the quality of the bond for children. Comparing generations of parents, LFS memories were more predictive for G2 than for G1. Comparing generations of children, there were no differences. The uniqueness of older parents in family research is considered, and an agenda for future research is suggested.