Karen Fingerman - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Karen Fingerman
Innovation in Aging, 2021
Active lifestyles are related to better cognitive health. More work is needed, however, to examin... more Active lifestyles are related to better cognitive health. More work is needed, however, to examine whether participating in a variety of daily activities (i.e., activity diversity) has unique importance beyond amount of activity. The current study examined associations between daily activity diversity and cognitive functioning among community-dwelling older adults (N = 313, ages 65-90). Participants completed a cognitive battery, then responded to ecological momentary assessments of their participation in 10 common activity types (e.g., exercise, chores, social visits, volunteering) every 3 hours for 5-6 days, and wore accelerometers to track daily step counts and duration of activity. Multiple regression models revealed that greater daily activity diversity related to higher overall cognitive functioning, executive functioning, memory, and crystallized intelligence. These associations remained significant after adjusting for step count and duration of activity. Findings suggest dai...
Innovation in Aging
The COVID-19 outbreak and the associated physical distancing measures dramatically altered the so... more The COVID-19 outbreak and the associated physical distancing measures dramatically altered the social world for most older adults, but people who live alone may have been disproportionately affected. The current study examined how living alone was related to social contact and emotional well-being among older adults during the pandemic. Adults (N = 226) aged 69+ completed a brief survey assessing their living situation, social contact with different social partners (in person, by phone, electronically), and emotions during the morning, afternoon and evening the prior day. Older adults who live alone were less likely to see others in person or to receive or provide help, and reported less positive emotion the prior day than those who lived with others. Living alone was associated with more positive emotions concurrent with in-person contact. In contrast, phone contact was related to higher levels of negate affect among those living alone, but not among those who live with others. Fin...
Encyclopedia of Geropsychology, 2015
Research in Human Development, 2012
Relationships with in-laws play an important role in individuals&... more Relationships with in-laws play an important role in individuals' lives, but we do not know how these ties are formed. We considered two pathways through which early relationships with mothers-in-laws may affect subsequent in-law relationship qualities: a) dimensions of the early relationship and, b) beliefs and expectations of the future relationship. Sixty men and women engaged to be married and their mothers (N = 240) completed interviews prior to, and 6 to 8 months following the wedding. Measures at Time 1 assessed three dimensions of the in-law relationship: a) behavioral (contact by phone, in person), b) emotional (positive and negative relationship qualities), and c) cognitive (knowledge about the other person). Participants also described positive and negative expectations of their future tie. Multilevel models revealed that dimensions of the tie prior to the marriage were associated with post-wedding in-law relationship qualities. When the parties had individual contact with one another and positive feelings before the wedding, ties were stronger following the wedding. Data from open-ended descriptions of negative expectations obtained before the wedding predicted negative relationship qualities after the wedding. Husbands, wives, and mothers-in-law showed similar patterns with regard to relationship qualities. Discussion focuses on the role of early emotional qualities of the in-law tie for subsequent in-law relationships.
The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences, Jan 26, 2015
Older adults are utilizing online dating websites in increasing numbers. Adults of different ages... more Older adults are utilizing online dating websites in increasing numbers. Adults of different ages may share motivations for companionship and affection, but dating profiles may reveal differences in adults' goals. Theories addressing age-related changes in motivation suggest that younger adults are likely to emphasize themselves, achievements, attractiveness, and sexuality. Older adults are likely to present themselves positively and emphasize their existing relationships and health. We collected 4,000 dating profiles from two popular websites to examine age differences in self-presentations. We used stratified sampling to obtain a sample equally divided by gender, aged 18-95 years. We identified 12 themes in the profiles using Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count software (Pennebaker, Booth, & Francis, 2007). Regression analyses revealed that older adults were more likely to use first-person plural pronouns (e.g., we, our) and words associated with health and positive emotions. Yo...
Psychology and Aging, 1996
This study explored sources of tension in the aging mother-adult daughter relationship. Forty-eig... more This study explored sources of tension in the aging mother-adult daughter relationship. Forty-eight dyads of healthy mothers over the age of 70 years (mean age = 76 years) and their adult daughters (mean age = 44 years) were interviewed individually and then together about their relationship. Responses to questions about tension were coded as referring to intrusiveness, exclusion, inappropriate care of self or other, or as referring to general habits or traits. The term developmental schism is introduced to explain possible sources of tension in this relationship. Aging mothers and middle-aged daughters are at different points in their adult development; developmental discrepancies may foster interpersonal tension in their relationship. Mothers and daughters who described sources of difficulty that were not related to developmental differences had more positive regard for the relationship.
Journal of marriage and the family, 2015
The intergenerational stake hypothesis suggests that parents are more invested in their children ... more The intergenerational stake hypothesis suggests that parents are more invested in their children and experience better quality parent-child ties than do their children. In this study the authors examined variation in reports of relationship quality regarding parents and children intraindividually (do people report better quality ties with their children than with their parents?) and whether within-person variations have implications for well-being. Participants age 40-60 (N = 633) reported on their relationship quality (importance, positive and negative quality) with their parents and adult children. Individuals reported their relationships with children were more important and more negative than relationships with parents. Individuals with feelings that were in the opposite direction of the intergenerational stake hypothesis (i.e., greater investment in parents than children) reported poorer well-being. The findings provide support for the intergenerational stake hypothesis with re...
Psychology and Aging, 1995
Psychoneuroendocrinology, Jan 3, 2015
Studies have established that grown children's problems affect parental well-being, but a dea... more Studies have established that grown children's problems affect parental well-being, but a dearth of research has addressed daily interactions and biological systems that may underlie these associations. This study examined whether parents have different types of daily interactions with adult children who have problems and whether those interactions are associated with variations in parents' diurnal cortisol rhythms. Middle-aged parents (n=197) reported their interactions with adult children for seven consecutive days and provided saliva, analyzed for cortisol, three times a day (wake, 30min after wake, bedtime) for four of those days. Parents were more likely to report negative encounters but not less likely to report positive interactions or contact with adult children who suffered from problems. Interactions with adult children who had physical-emotional problems had more immediate same day associations with cortisol whereas interactions with adult children who had lifesty...
Psychology and Aging, 1999
Psychology and Aging, 2008
Older adults report more positive feelings and fewer problems in their relationships than do youn... more Older adults report more positive feelings and fewer problems in their relationships than do younger adults. These positive experiences may partially reflect how people treat older adults. Social partners may treat older adults more kindly due to their sense that time remaining to interact with these older adults is limited. Younger (n = 87, aged 22 to 35) and older participants (n = 89, aged 65 to 77) indicated how positively they would behave (i.e., express affection, proffer respect, send sentimental cards) and what types of conflict strategies they would use in response to hypothetical negative interactions with two close social partners, a younger adult and an older adult. Multilevel models revealed that participants were more avoidant and less confrontational when interacting with older adults than when interacting with younger adults. Time perspective of the relationship partially mediated these age differences. Young and older participants also were more likely to select sentimental cards for older partners than for younger partners. Findings build on socioemotional selectivity theory and the social input model to suggest that social partners facilitate better relationships in late life.
The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences, Jan 14, 2015
Families differ widely in the support they provide to adult offspring, both with regard to the ov... more Families differ widely in the support they provide to adult offspring, both with regard to the overall level as well as the extent to which support is evenly distributed across offspring. This study addressed these dynamics by creating family profiles based on the average level and differentiation of support among children. We also examined demographic and psychological factors that predict typology membership. We utilized data from 431 middle-aged parents (aged 40-60) with at least two adult children. Parents provided separate ratings of support given to each child. Latent profile analysis was applied to two indicators of within-family support: mean level and differentiation among offspring. Latent profile analysis identified four patterns of parental support: (a) high support-low differentiation (52%), (b) medium support-high differentiation (26%), (c) low support-low differentiation (17%), and (d) low support-very high differentiation (5%). These patterns reflected distinct famil...
Journal of Women & Aging, 1997
This study examined daughters' perceptions of continuities and changes in th... more This study examined daughters' perceptions of continuities and changes in their relationships with their mothers in midlife. Forty-two middle-aged daughters (M = 49.4 years) described the ways in which their relationships with their mothers had remained the same and had changed in recent years. Open-ended responses were examined for the presence of content pertaining to: instrumental support, shifts in emotional
Journal of Marriage and Family, 2015
The authors investigated patterns of support exchanges between Korean adult children and their pa... more The authors investigated patterns of support exchanges between Korean adult children and their parents and parents-in-law, gender differences in these patterns, and implications of children's marital quality for exchange patterns. Data were from a nationally representative sample of married adults (N = 920, age 30-59 years) with at least 1 living parent and 1 living parent-in-law. Latent class analysis was applied to 12 indicators of exchanges (financial, instrumental, emotional support given to and received from parents and parents-in-law). Five classes of exchanges were identified, 3 showing balanced patterns of exchanges with parents and parents-in-law across three types of support and 2 classes with unbalanced patterns (e.g., giving instrumental and financial, but not emotional support). The findings revealed variability in intergenerational exchange patterns, with a mix of patrilineal traditional and balanced patterns. Significant associations of exchange patterns with adult children's marital quality suggest the importance of balanced exchanges with parents for marriage.
The Journal of General Psychology, 1995
The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences, Jan 7, 2015
Aging parents may respond to advice or help with daily problems from their grown children by insi... more Aging parents may respond to advice or help with daily problems from their grown children by insisting, resisting, or persisting in their ways or opinions, behaviors which are commonly viewed as stubbornness. Research has not examined how frequently such behaviors occur and what factors are associated with these behaviors. Middle-aged adults and parents (N = 189 dyads) reported the prevalence of parental behaviors attributed to stubbornness. Utilizing hierarchical linear regression and multilevel modeling this exploratory study examined the association of parent stubbornness with individual and relationship-based characteristics and concordance in reports within dyads. Over 77% of children and 66% of parents reported parents acting in ways attributed to stubbornness at least sometimes. Children reported higher levels of parental stubbornness than parents self-reported. Children's perceptions of occurrence were related to parent disability and relationship characteristics, while ...
Journal of Family Issues, 2006
... Sara M. Moorman University of WisconsinMadison Alan Booth The Pennsylvania State University ... more ... Sara M. Moorman University of WisconsinMadison Alan Booth The Pennsylvania State University Karen L. Fingerman Purdue University, West Lafayette ... With the death of a spouse, an individual loses an important source of assis-tance, companionship, passion, and intimacy. ...
The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences, Jan 8, 2014
Conservation of Resources (COR) theory postulates that individuals utilize various resources to m... more Conservation of Resources (COR) theory postulates that individuals utilize various resources to manage stressful circumstances. Children employ many resources to cope with the problems of parents who suffer from disabilities, cognitive impairment, and functional limitations. This phenomenon is rarely explored among middle-aged offspring and their aging parents. Drawing from the Family Exchanges Study, we focus on a sample (N = 308) of middle-aged adults (mean age = 51) whose only living parent was their mother. We use multiple regression to examine maternal support and self-reported health as moderators of maternal problems on offspring depressive symptoms. Participants whose mothers had few problems generally reported low levels of depressive symptoms. When mothers had high problems, results indicate a negative association between depressive symptoms and physical health. When maternal problems were high, the amount of support offspring receive from their mother had a negative assoc...
Current Psychology, 1997
Retrospective accounts of past conflict between parents and offspring have been associated with a... more Retrospective accounts of past conflict between parents and offspring have been associated with a variety of implications for individual well-being and relationship quality in adulthood. The present study involved 48 dyads of healthy older mothers (mean age=76) and their adult daughters (mean age=44). Participants independently rated degree of conflict in their relationship when daughters were ages: 5-12, 13-17, 18-24, and 25-present. Mothers and daughters provided descriptions of the source of problems and their behaviors during the time period rated as most conflicted. Mothers' and daughters' memories of past difficulties were related to their roles in the relationship, but not to present relationship quality or individual well-being.
The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences, Jan 25, 2013
Objectives.Middle-aged adults often provide support to aging parents, but researchers know little... more Objectives.Middle-aged adults often provide support to aging parents, but researchers know little about support that young adults provide middle-aged parents. This study examined support that young adults provide parents and explanations for that support from both offspring's and parents' perspectives.Method.Young adults (n = 515, mean age = 22.34) and their parents (n = 364, mean age = 50.09) from the Family Exchanges Study reported support that offspring provide parents. Participants also reported parental personal problems, parental disability status, relationship quality, and support that parents provide offspring. Offspring provided parents with emotional support and listening more often than other forms of support. Offspring reported providing more frequent support than parents reported receiving. We examined factors associated with support using multilevel models. Both offspring and parents reported more frequent support provided to parents when they had higher qualit...
Innovation in Aging, 2021
Active lifestyles are related to better cognitive health. More work is needed, however, to examin... more Active lifestyles are related to better cognitive health. More work is needed, however, to examine whether participating in a variety of daily activities (i.e., activity diversity) has unique importance beyond amount of activity. The current study examined associations between daily activity diversity and cognitive functioning among community-dwelling older adults (N = 313, ages 65-90). Participants completed a cognitive battery, then responded to ecological momentary assessments of their participation in 10 common activity types (e.g., exercise, chores, social visits, volunteering) every 3 hours for 5-6 days, and wore accelerometers to track daily step counts and duration of activity. Multiple regression models revealed that greater daily activity diversity related to higher overall cognitive functioning, executive functioning, memory, and crystallized intelligence. These associations remained significant after adjusting for step count and duration of activity. Findings suggest dai...
Innovation in Aging
The COVID-19 outbreak and the associated physical distancing measures dramatically altered the so... more The COVID-19 outbreak and the associated physical distancing measures dramatically altered the social world for most older adults, but people who live alone may have been disproportionately affected. The current study examined how living alone was related to social contact and emotional well-being among older adults during the pandemic. Adults (N = 226) aged 69+ completed a brief survey assessing their living situation, social contact with different social partners (in person, by phone, electronically), and emotions during the morning, afternoon and evening the prior day. Older adults who live alone were less likely to see others in person or to receive or provide help, and reported less positive emotion the prior day than those who lived with others. Living alone was associated with more positive emotions concurrent with in-person contact. In contrast, phone contact was related to higher levels of negate affect among those living alone, but not among those who live with others. Fin...
Encyclopedia of Geropsychology, 2015
Research in Human Development, 2012
Relationships with in-laws play an important role in individuals&... more Relationships with in-laws play an important role in individuals' lives, but we do not know how these ties are formed. We considered two pathways through which early relationships with mothers-in-laws may affect subsequent in-law relationship qualities: a) dimensions of the early relationship and, b) beliefs and expectations of the future relationship. Sixty men and women engaged to be married and their mothers (N = 240) completed interviews prior to, and 6 to 8 months following the wedding. Measures at Time 1 assessed three dimensions of the in-law relationship: a) behavioral (contact by phone, in person), b) emotional (positive and negative relationship qualities), and c) cognitive (knowledge about the other person). Participants also described positive and negative expectations of their future tie. Multilevel models revealed that dimensions of the tie prior to the marriage were associated with post-wedding in-law relationship qualities. When the parties had individual contact with one another and positive feelings before the wedding, ties were stronger following the wedding. Data from open-ended descriptions of negative expectations obtained before the wedding predicted negative relationship qualities after the wedding. Husbands, wives, and mothers-in-law showed similar patterns with regard to relationship qualities. Discussion focuses on the role of early emotional qualities of the in-law tie for subsequent in-law relationships.
The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences, Jan 26, 2015
Older adults are utilizing online dating websites in increasing numbers. Adults of different ages... more Older adults are utilizing online dating websites in increasing numbers. Adults of different ages may share motivations for companionship and affection, but dating profiles may reveal differences in adults' goals. Theories addressing age-related changes in motivation suggest that younger adults are likely to emphasize themselves, achievements, attractiveness, and sexuality. Older adults are likely to present themselves positively and emphasize their existing relationships and health. We collected 4,000 dating profiles from two popular websites to examine age differences in self-presentations. We used stratified sampling to obtain a sample equally divided by gender, aged 18-95 years. We identified 12 themes in the profiles using Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count software (Pennebaker, Booth, & Francis, 2007). Regression analyses revealed that older adults were more likely to use first-person plural pronouns (e.g., we, our) and words associated with health and positive emotions. Yo...
Psychology and Aging, 1996
This study explored sources of tension in the aging mother-adult daughter relationship. Forty-eig... more This study explored sources of tension in the aging mother-adult daughter relationship. Forty-eight dyads of healthy mothers over the age of 70 years (mean age = 76 years) and their adult daughters (mean age = 44 years) were interviewed individually and then together about their relationship. Responses to questions about tension were coded as referring to intrusiveness, exclusion, inappropriate care of self or other, or as referring to general habits or traits. The term developmental schism is introduced to explain possible sources of tension in this relationship. Aging mothers and middle-aged daughters are at different points in their adult development; developmental discrepancies may foster interpersonal tension in their relationship. Mothers and daughters who described sources of difficulty that were not related to developmental differences had more positive regard for the relationship.
Journal of marriage and the family, 2015
The intergenerational stake hypothesis suggests that parents are more invested in their children ... more The intergenerational stake hypothesis suggests that parents are more invested in their children and experience better quality parent-child ties than do their children. In this study the authors examined variation in reports of relationship quality regarding parents and children intraindividually (do people report better quality ties with their children than with their parents?) and whether within-person variations have implications for well-being. Participants age 40-60 (N = 633) reported on their relationship quality (importance, positive and negative quality) with their parents and adult children. Individuals reported their relationships with children were more important and more negative than relationships with parents. Individuals with feelings that were in the opposite direction of the intergenerational stake hypothesis (i.e., greater investment in parents than children) reported poorer well-being. The findings provide support for the intergenerational stake hypothesis with re...
Psychology and Aging, 1995
Psychoneuroendocrinology, Jan 3, 2015
Studies have established that grown children's problems affect parental well-being, but a dea... more Studies have established that grown children's problems affect parental well-being, but a dearth of research has addressed daily interactions and biological systems that may underlie these associations. This study examined whether parents have different types of daily interactions with adult children who have problems and whether those interactions are associated with variations in parents' diurnal cortisol rhythms. Middle-aged parents (n=197) reported their interactions with adult children for seven consecutive days and provided saliva, analyzed for cortisol, three times a day (wake, 30min after wake, bedtime) for four of those days. Parents were more likely to report negative encounters but not less likely to report positive interactions or contact with adult children who suffered from problems. Interactions with adult children who had physical-emotional problems had more immediate same day associations with cortisol whereas interactions with adult children who had lifesty...
Psychology and Aging, 1999
Psychology and Aging, 2008
Older adults report more positive feelings and fewer problems in their relationships than do youn... more Older adults report more positive feelings and fewer problems in their relationships than do younger adults. These positive experiences may partially reflect how people treat older adults. Social partners may treat older adults more kindly due to their sense that time remaining to interact with these older adults is limited. Younger (n = 87, aged 22 to 35) and older participants (n = 89, aged 65 to 77) indicated how positively they would behave (i.e., express affection, proffer respect, send sentimental cards) and what types of conflict strategies they would use in response to hypothetical negative interactions with two close social partners, a younger adult and an older adult. Multilevel models revealed that participants were more avoidant and less confrontational when interacting with older adults than when interacting with younger adults. Time perspective of the relationship partially mediated these age differences. Young and older participants also were more likely to select sentimental cards for older partners than for younger partners. Findings build on socioemotional selectivity theory and the social input model to suggest that social partners facilitate better relationships in late life.
The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences, Jan 14, 2015
Families differ widely in the support they provide to adult offspring, both with regard to the ov... more Families differ widely in the support they provide to adult offspring, both with regard to the overall level as well as the extent to which support is evenly distributed across offspring. This study addressed these dynamics by creating family profiles based on the average level and differentiation of support among children. We also examined demographic and psychological factors that predict typology membership. We utilized data from 431 middle-aged parents (aged 40-60) with at least two adult children. Parents provided separate ratings of support given to each child. Latent profile analysis was applied to two indicators of within-family support: mean level and differentiation among offspring. Latent profile analysis identified four patterns of parental support: (a) high support-low differentiation (52%), (b) medium support-high differentiation (26%), (c) low support-low differentiation (17%), and (d) low support-very high differentiation (5%). These patterns reflected distinct famil...
Journal of Women & Aging, 1997
This study examined daughters' perceptions of continuities and changes in th... more This study examined daughters' perceptions of continuities and changes in their relationships with their mothers in midlife. Forty-two middle-aged daughters (M = 49.4 years) described the ways in which their relationships with their mothers had remained the same and had changed in recent years. Open-ended responses were examined for the presence of content pertaining to: instrumental support, shifts in emotional
Journal of Marriage and Family, 2015
The authors investigated patterns of support exchanges between Korean adult children and their pa... more The authors investigated patterns of support exchanges between Korean adult children and their parents and parents-in-law, gender differences in these patterns, and implications of children's marital quality for exchange patterns. Data were from a nationally representative sample of married adults (N = 920, age 30-59 years) with at least 1 living parent and 1 living parent-in-law. Latent class analysis was applied to 12 indicators of exchanges (financial, instrumental, emotional support given to and received from parents and parents-in-law). Five classes of exchanges were identified, 3 showing balanced patterns of exchanges with parents and parents-in-law across three types of support and 2 classes with unbalanced patterns (e.g., giving instrumental and financial, but not emotional support). The findings revealed variability in intergenerational exchange patterns, with a mix of patrilineal traditional and balanced patterns. Significant associations of exchange patterns with adult children's marital quality suggest the importance of balanced exchanges with parents for marriage.
The Journal of General Psychology, 1995
The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences, Jan 7, 2015
Aging parents may respond to advice or help with daily problems from their grown children by insi... more Aging parents may respond to advice or help with daily problems from their grown children by insisting, resisting, or persisting in their ways or opinions, behaviors which are commonly viewed as stubbornness. Research has not examined how frequently such behaviors occur and what factors are associated with these behaviors. Middle-aged adults and parents (N = 189 dyads) reported the prevalence of parental behaviors attributed to stubbornness. Utilizing hierarchical linear regression and multilevel modeling this exploratory study examined the association of parent stubbornness with individual and relationship-based characteristics and concordance in reports within dyads. Over 77% of children and 66% of parents reported parents acting in ways attributed to stubbornness at least sometimes. Children reported higher levels of parental stubbornness than parents self-reported. Children's perceptions of occurrence were related to parent disability and relationship characteristics, while ...
Journal of Family Issues, 2006
... Sara M. Moorman University of WisconsinMadison Alan Booth The Pennsylvania State University ... more ... Sara M. Moorman University of WisconsinMadison Alan Booth The Pennsylvania State University Karen L. Fingerman Purdue University, West Lafayette ... With the death of a spouse, an individual loses an important source of assis-tance, companionship, passion, and intimacy. ...
The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences, Jan 8, 2014
Conservation of Resources (COR) theory postulates that individuals utilize various resources to m... more Conservation of Resources (COR) theory postulates that individuals utilize various resources to manage stressful circumstances. Children employ many resources to cope with the problems of parents who suffer from disabilities, cognitive impairment, and functional limitations. This phenomenon is rarely explored among middle-aged offspring and their aging parents. Drawing from the Family Exchanges Study, we focus on a sample (N = 308) of middle-aged adults (mean age = 51) whose only living parent was their mother. We use multiple regression to examine maternal support and self-reported health as moderators of maternal problems on offspring depressive symptoms. Participants whose mothers had few problems generally reported low levels of depressive symptoms. When mothers had high problems, results indicate a negative association between depressive symptoms and physical health. When maternal problems were high, the amount of support offspring receive from their mother had a negative assoc...
Current Psychology, 1997
Retrospective accounts of past conflict between parents and offspring have been associated with a... more Retrospective accounts of past conflict between parents and offspring have been associated with a variety of implications for individual well-being and relationship quality in adulthood. The present study involved 48 dyads of healthy older mothers (mean age=76) and their adult daughters (mean age=44). Participants independently rated degree of conflict in their relationship when daughters were ages: 5-12, 13-17, 18-24, and 25-present. Mothers and daughters provided descriptions of the source of problems and their behaviors during the time period rated as most conflicted. Mothers' and daughters' memories of past difficulties were related to their roles in the relationship, but not to present relationship quality or individual well-being.
The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences, Jan 25, 2013
Objectives.Middle-aged adults often provide support to aging parents, but researchers know little... more Objectives.Middle-aged adults often provide support to aging parents, but researchers know little about support that young adults provide middle-aged parents. This study examined support that young adults provide parents and explanations for that support from both offspring's and parents' perspectives.Method.Young adults (n = 515, mean age = 22.34) and their parents (n = 364, mean age = 50.09) from the Family Exchanges Study reported support that offspring provide parents. Participants also reported parental personal problems, parental disability status, relationship quality, and support that parents provide offspring. Offspring provided parents with emotional support and listening more often than other forms of support. Offspring reported providing more frequent support than parents reported receiving. We examined factors associated with support using multilevel models. Both offspring and parents reported more frequent support provided to parents when they had higher qualit...