Family Ties: Perceived College Student-Parent Political Differences and Relationship Quality

Political polarization causes friction in many interpersonal relationships – but are close familial relationships buffered from this divisive force? In three pre-registered studies, we examine whether the relationship between college students and their parents can withstand perceived political difference. We find parent-child relationship quality is generally robust to perceived political differences. The few student perceptions of politics-related relationship impairments we did observe were statistically small, and there was no evidence that parents’ perceptions of political-related differences harmed their relationships with their children. This provides initial evidence that the parent-child relationship may be one that is relatively immune from the harmful effects of political polarization.