The Role of Shared Family Identity and Future Time Perspective in Shaping the Outcomes of Grandparents’ Positive and Negative Social Behaviors

Scholars have begun to recognize that negative social encounters may have more profound effects on individuals than do positive social encounters. This study analyzes survey responses provided by 195 young adults regarding the kinds of positive and negative social behaviors they experience during interactions with target grandparents. Results suggest that the nature of grandchildren’s evaluations of grandparent behavior and the impact of grandparent behavior on grandchildren’s feelings of relational satisfaction are contingent on feelings of shared familial identification, although a question remains as to whether shared family identification functions as a moderator or a mediator. Results also suggested that shared family identity interacted with perceptions of grandparents’ futures as being restricted versus expansive to shape the impact of frequent positive grandparent behaviors.