BUILDING A THEORY OF GRANDPARENT DEVELOPMENT

A theory of grandparent development is described that includes the for mulation of assumptions, goals for guiding instruction, curriculum des ign, and a measurement tool to assess learning needs and evaluate the effects of educational intervention. Cultural considerations are illus trated by a three generational study of African-American (n = 777), Ca ucasian (n = 1086), and Hispanic (n = 672) subjects who were administe red the Grandparent Strengths and Needs Inventory. Perceptions of each generation about the attitudes and behaviors of grandparents were exa mined with multivariate analysis of variance and post-hoc comparisons to analyze the scores, confirm results, and facilitate interpretation of findings. Results showed significant differences between generation s and within cultures. Each generation identified elements of grandpar ent success as well as issues that deserve consideration in building e ducational programs.