Adult daughters' perceptions of the mother-daughter relationship: A cross-cultural comparison

This study compares the perception of adult adult daughters' relationship w ith their mothers across the European American, Asian Indian American, and Mexican American cultures, using intergenerational, feminist object relatio ns and attachment theories. Three dimensions were used to measure the relat ionships: closeness, reliability, and collectivism. Each dimension was meas ured using two instruments: the AAS and the MAD. The latter was developed t o be sensitive to cultural differences and includes a new variable called t rust in hierarchy. This variable represents positive beliefs about, and an acceptance of hierarchy in intergenerational relationships. The participant s were 91 women from the three ethnic groups. Cross-cultural differences in the adult daughter-mother relationship were found, with the Asian Indian A merican group scoring higher than the European American group on many varia bles. Scores for the Mexican American group tended to fall between those of the other two groups.