TIGHT LIPS - AGING MOTHERS AND ADULT DAUGHTERS RESPONSES TO INTERPERSONAL TENSIONS IN THEIR RELATIONSHIPS

Mothers and daughters maintain strong positive relationships despite i nterpersonal tensions. This study examined the ways in which older mot hers and their adult daughters handle problems in their relationships. Forty-eight dyads of healthy, aging mothers (mean age, 76 years) and their adult daughters (mean age, 44 years) participated. Rusbult's (19 80) model of relationship investment was used es a framework for explo ring how mothers and daughters might react when upset with the other p arty. Self-reports and observed behaviors across individual and joint interviews were examined. The mothers and daughters seemed to rely on constructive approaches to deal with problems in their relationship. M others tended to rely on loyalty behaviors more than their daughters d id, but findings pertaining to such responses are complex. Reactions t o problems in this relationship did not appear to be related to levels of investment, regard for the relationship, or frequency of tensions. The implications of this study for understanding the strength of moth ers' and daughters' ties are discussed.