Age differences in grandchildren's perceptions of relations with grandparents

Although speculations about the role of grandparents within the developing grandchild's social networks abound, relatively few true empirical investigations are in existence. For the present study, 169 3rd, 5th, and 7th grade children completed the Network of Relationships Inventory (Furman and Buhrmester, 1985) which measured perceptions of social support and conflict with each available grandparent. Consistent with our expectations, most grandchildren reported supportive relationships with grandparents, with older grandchildren perceiving less supportive relationships when contrasted to younger grandchildren. It was also found that paternal grandfathers were generally perceived as less supportive compared to the other three types of grandparents. While granddaughters were expected to have stronger relations with grandparents relative to grandsons, there were few overall significant gender differences among relationships. Finally, frequency of contact and grandparent health status were found to influence relationships with grandparents. Implications for future research efforts are discussed.