The effects of earlier intergenerational affection, normative expectations, and family conflict on contemporary exchanges of help and support

This article extends previous research by examining the relationship betwee n prospective accounts of intergenerational affection, normative expectatio ns, and conflict on current patterns of supportive exchanges between parent s and adult children. Research questions are addressed using data from 680 parent-child dyads participating in the 1988 and 1991 waves of the Universi ty of Southern California Longitudinal Study of Generations. Findings indic ate that a history of affection in a parent-adult child relationship is ass ociated with equitable and reciprocal exchanges of support and a greater li kelihood of receiving and giving various forms of help and support. A stron g sense of obligation to family at an earlier time period was related to ex change relationships with fathers but not with mothers: Duty-driven exchang es were less equitable, with adult children giving much more than they rece ived. Earlier conflict in parent-adult child relationships did not interfer e with contemporary exchanges of help and support.