Emotionally and practically supporting parents during young adulthood

The family is a privileged place where children can experience gratitude toward their parents, as it is a form of recognition of what they have received from them during their lives. Some psychosocial studies have intriguingly argued that gratitude can coexist with a sense of indebtedness toward parents, that is the child's feeling of debt to give back to parents. Although empirical research taking both these aspects into account is still scarce, gratitude and indebtedness have been found to drive actions in very different ways. The present study examined the role of gratitude and indebtedness in the emotional and practical support Italian young adults are keen to provide to their parents. We also consider the contribution of conservation values (i.e., tradition, conformity, and security) in moderating the link between young adults' gratitude and indebtedness, on the one hand, and emotional and practical support to parents, on the other. According to Schwartz's theory of basic human values, conservation is particularly relevant to intergenerational relationships and family support, emphasising the importance of self-restraint, obedience, preservation of tradition, and stability. Participants were 237 Italian young adults (62% women), aged between 18 and 29 (M = 22.98, SD = 2.20), who were asked to complete an anonymous online self-report questionnaire aimed at measuring the above-mentioned constructs. The data analysis is still in progress and the forthcoming results will be discussed in relation to their potential implications for research and interventions in the field of family and intergenerational relationships.