Trust as a mediator between family communication patterns and relational maintenance in grandparent-adult child-grandchild relationships

• DOI: 10.1080/01463373.2022.2036214
• Publication Date: 2022-02-08T18:46:51Z
• Authors: Jenna McNallie; Patricia E. Gettings
• Keywords: Grandchild; Conformity

Grandparents in the United States play increasingly significant familial and societal roles, yet an underexplored aspect of their experiences is how relationship between grandparents adult child influences development grandparent-grandchild relationships. To address this gap, study explores (a) associations family communication patterns relational maintenance behaviors, (b) extent trust mediates those Data from (N = 380, Mage 57.17, SD 9.68) revealed higher conversation orientations were indirectly associated with increased use assurances, conflict management, positivity, advice, social networks grandchild through child, whereas conformity decreased these behaviors child. These findings point to complex nature intergenerational relationships