Trust as a Mediator Between Affection and Relational Maintenance in the Grandparent-Grandchild Relationship

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to test a mediated model of affection, trust, and relational maintenance behaviors in the grandparent-grandchild relationship. The participants (N = 227) were young adult (i.e., 18–25 years old) grandchildren who completed a series of instruments in reference to their relationship with a specific grandparent. The results of Pearson correlation and regression analyses provided support for the hypothesized positive relationships among grandchildren's received affection from their grandparents, grandchildren's trust in their grandparents, and grandchildren's use of relational maintenance behaviors with their grandparents. Moreover, nonparametric bootstrap analyses indicated that trust is, in most cases, a partial mediator between grandchildren's received affection from their grandparents and grandchildren's use of relational maintenance behaviors with their grandparents. These findings bolster the argument that trust is a central feature of interpersonal relationships.