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Obligations to Stepparents Acquired in Later Life: Relationship Quality and Acuity of Needs

¹ Sinclair School of Nursing and ² Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Missouri, Columbia.

Address correspondence to Dr. Lawrence Ganong, 409 Gentry Hall, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211. E-mail: ganongl{at}missouri.edu

Objectives. The purpose of this study was to examine beliefs about responsibilities of an adult child to an older stepparent or parent who has remarried later in life. We also investigated the effects of relationship quality and acuity of needs on perceived responsibilities to parents and stepparents.

Methods. We obtained a sample of 487 men and 571 women from across the United States by using a multistage probability sampling design that used random-digit dialing of telephone numbers. We presented respondents with a multiple-segment vignette in which the type of relationship between the adults (i.e., parent–child or stepparent–stepchild), the relationship quality, and the acuity of the older person's need were randomly varied. Respondents indicated how much help the younger adult should give the older person and how obligated the younger adult was to help the older person. In addition, we asked respondents open-ended questions about the rationale for their judgments about intergenerational helping.

Results. Perceived responsibilities to parents were greater than responsibilities to stepparents. Relationship quality and acuity of need were also related to obligation beliefs.

Discussion. Stepparents acquired later in life generally are not seen as family members, and thus norms of family obligations do not apply to them.

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