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generativity. parenting, and parent-child attitudinal similarity
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Description: Generativity is the desire to pass something on to the coming generations. Through parents’ and children’s reports on authoritative parenting, parents’ generativity is associated with how similar young adults think their attitudes are to those of their parent [Peterson, B. E., Smirles, K. A., & Wentworth, P. A. (1997). Generativity and authoritarianism: Implications for personality, political involvement, and parenting. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72(5), 1202–1216. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.72.5.1202]. The present study represents a direct replication of these results. Altogether, a sample of 365 German parent-child dyads participated in the study (parents’ age: M = 52.87, SD = 4.89; children’s age: M = 20.81, SD = 2.26). Parents provided information on their generativity (Loyola Generativity Scale) and parenting styles (Parental Authority Questionnaire). Their child provided information on perceived parenting styles (Parental Authority Questionnaire) and attitudinal similarity to the parent (Psychological Separation Inventory). A serial mediation was found for authoritative parenting. It was not found, however, for authoritarian and permissive parenting. This pattern replicates Peterson et al.’s (1997) results. Potential questions for future research on how generative adults transmit their values and attitudes are discussed.