Subjective and Objective Measures of Family Dynamics Within Multigenerational Late-Life Families

TL;DR

This study explores how older adults and their adult children perceive family dynamics, finding that agreement among family members is linked to better problem-solving performance.

Contribution

The study introduces a method comparing self-reports from multiple family members and links intergenerational agreement to behavioral outcomes.

Findings

Parents and children showed similar reports on family cohesion and flexibility.

Higher agreement among family members was significantly associated with better performance on a problem-solving task.

Self-report measures alone did not predict task performance, but agreement did.

Abstract

Late-life families are complex systems that play a significant role in older adults’ lives, making it essential to understand intergenerational relationships. Traditional measures of family dynamics have relied on reports from just one person in the family and on self-report scales, which are vulnerable to potential biases. To address these issues, this study compared reports from both older parents and adult children on the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale IV and examined associations with performance on a triadic problem-solving task. Participants were 32 families, consisting of an older parent (M age = 75; 93% female) and two adult children (M age = 46; 65% female). Results indicated considerable variability in intergenerational concordance about family features. The mean difference across family members was 2.60 for Cohesion (range = -39.33 to + 37.67, SD = 19.85) and 3.44 for Flexibility (range = -38.17 to + 30.50, SD = 15.33). Across all families, parents and children were similar in their reports of Cohesion and Flexibility (p = 0.72, p = 0.25, respectively). Associations between the problem-solving task and reports of Cohesion and Flexibility were not significant (p = 0.37, p = 0.58, respectively). However, higher agreement among family members on family features was significantly associated with better performance on the task (Cohesion: r = -.76, p < .001; Flexibility: r = -.48, p = .005). These findings underscore the value of integrating both self-report and behavioral assessments to gain a more comprehensive understanding of family functioning in late life.