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Intergenerational Continuity in Qualities of the Parent–Child Relationship: Mediating and Moderating Mechanisms

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Abstract

Intergenerational continuity in parenting quality has been demonstrated but the mechanisms underlying this continuity are less understood. This study investigated whether the offspring personality and years of education mediate the continuity in qualities of the parent–child relationship and whether offspring personality moderates this association. The sample comprised 1308 Finnish offspring (G2; 62% female) and their mothers (G1). G1 (Mean age = 37.7) reported self-perceived qualities of the parent–child relationship in terms of emotional warmth and acceptance towards G2 aged 3–18 years in 1980. Thirty-two years later, once having become parents themselves, G2 (Mean age = 42.9) self-rated their own qualities of the parent–child relationship towards their children using the same scales. Between these follow-ups, G2 self-rated their personality (consisting of temperament and character traits) using the Temperament and Character Inventory and reported years of education. Results indicated that G2 character traits—Self-directedness and Cooperativeness—partially mediated the intergenerational continuity in self-perceived emotional warmth and explained 16% of this association. No mediating role of G2 temperament traits was found (all ps > .240). Character traits accounted for the indirect association better than education in a multiple mediator model. Moreover, no moderating role of either temperament or character traits was found (all ps ≥ .064). Study findings show that warm and accepting qualities of the parent–child relationship in childhood are related to offspring character traits that reflect personality maturity in adulthood, which in turn would predict their own positive parent–child relationship later in life.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Academy of Finland Grants 265869 (LK-J) and 258578 (MH), and grant from the Signe and Ane Gyllenberg Foundation (LP-R). The Young Finns Study has been financially supported by the Academy of Finland: grants 134309 (Eye), 126925, 121584, 124282, 129378 (Salve), 117797 (Gendi), and 41071 (Skidi), the Social Insurance Institution of Finland, Kuopio, Tampere and Turku University Hospital Medical Funds, Juho Vainio Foundation, Sigrid Juselius Foundation, Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation, Paavo Nurmi Foundation, Finnish Foundation of Cardiovascular Research and Finnish Cultural Foundation, Tampere Tuberculosis Foundation, The Signe and Ane Gyllenberg Foundation (LP-R), and Emil Aaltonen Foundation.

Author Contributions

K.S.: designed and executed the study, analyzed the data, drafted the manuscript, and revised the manuscript. L.P-R.: contributed to the design and execution of the study, assisted with the data analyses and interpretation of the results, and collaborated with writing and revising the manuscript. M.J.: contributed to the design and execution of the study, assisted with the data analyses and interpretation of the results, and collaborated with writing and revising the manuscript. M.H.: collaborated with the design and writing of the study, interpretation of the results. P.M.: collaborated with the design and writing of the study, interpretation of the results. N.H-K.: participated in the acquisition of data, interpretation of the results, and writing the study. M.J.: participated in the acquisition of data, interpretation of the results, and writing the study. J.V.: participated in the acquisition of data, interpretation of the results, and writing the study. O.R.: participated in the acquisition of data, interpretation of the results, and writing the study. L.K-J.: contributed to the design of the study and acquisition of data, interpretation of the results, writing and editing the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    Kateryna Savelieva, Laura Pulkki-Råback, Markus Jokela, Mirka Hintsanen, Päivi Merjonen & Liisa Keltikangas-Järvinen

  2. Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    Laura Pulkki-Råback

  3. Unit of Psychology, Faculty of Education, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland

    Mirka Hintsanen

  4. Department of Pediatrics, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland

    Nina Hutri-Kähönen

  5. Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland

    Nina Hutri-Kähönen

  6. Department of Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland

    Markus Juonala & Jorma Viikari

  7. Division of Medicine, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland

    Markus Juonala & Jorma Viikari

  8. Research Centre of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland

    Olli Raitakari

  9. Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland

    Olli Raitakari

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  1. Kateryna Savelieva
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  2. Laura Pulkki-Råback
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  3. Markus Jokela
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  6. Nina Hutri-Kähönen
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  10. Liisa Keltikangas-Järvinen
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Correspondence to Kateryna Savelieva.

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The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study; in addition, parents’ consent was requested for participants less than 12 years of age in 1980.

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Savelieva, K., Pulkki-Råback, L., Jokela, M. et al. Intergenerational Continuity in Qualities of the Parent–Child Relationship: Mediating and Moderating Mechanisms. J Child Fam Stud 26, 2191–2201 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-017-0729-1

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