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. 2013 Jul;34(7):975-1007.
doi: 10.1177/0192513X12454657.

Parental support during young adulthood: Why does assistance decline with age?

Caroline Sten Hartnett  1 , Frank Furstenberg, Kira Birditt, Karen Fingerman
Affiliations

Parental support during young adulthood: Why does assistance decline with age?

Caroline Sten Hartnett et al. J Fam Issues. 2013 Jul.

Abstract

Previous research has found that financial transfers from parents to young adult children decline as children age and that age is one of the strongest predictors of support. Using data collected from young adults (ages 18 to 34) and their parents (ages 40 to 60; N=536 parent-child dyads), we explore the possibility that the relationship between age and financial support is mediated by offspring needs, acquisition of adult roles, or geographical and emotional closeness. We find that age-related declines in offspring's needs help to explain why financial support falls with age. However, offspring age remains a robust predictor of financial support after controlling for a wide range of factors, suggesting that age norms condition support from parents to offspring.

Keywords: Aging; Intergenerational transfers; Social support; Transition to adulthood.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Conceptual Diagram
Figure 2
Figure 2
Figure 2a. Predicted Frequency of Parent-to-Offspring Transfers (Offspring report) Note: All variables other than age and age-squared are held constant at the mean Figure 2b. Predicted Frequency of Parent-to-Offspring Transfers (Parent report) Note: All variables other than age and age-squared are held constant at the mean
Figure 2
Figure 2
Figure 2a. Predicted Frequency of Parent-to-Offspring Transfers (Offspring report) Note: All variables other than age and age-squared are held constant at the mean Figure 2b. Predicted Frequency of Parent-to-Offspring Transfers (Parent report) Note: All variables other than age and age-squared are held constant at the mean
Figure 3
Figure 3
Figure 3a. Predicted Amount of Parent-to-Offspring Transfers (Offspring report) Note: All variables other than age and age-squared are held constant at the mean Figure 3b. Predicted Amount of Parent-to-Offspring Transfers (Parent report) Note: All variables other than age and age-squared are held constant at the mean
Figure 3
Figure 3
Figure 3a. Predicted Amount of Parent-to-Offspring Transfers (Offspring report) Note: All variables other than age and age-squared are held constant at the mean Figure 3b. Predicted Amount of Parent-to-Offspring Transfers (Parent report) Note: All variables other than age and age-squared are held constant at the mean
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