中華心理衛生協會

Purpose: Building on previous conceptualizations derived from a qualitative research, this study investigated adult women's intergenerational ambivalences toward parents/parents-in-law. Relationships among intergenerational ambivalence, international intrusion, and physical/psychological were also explored in this study.Methods: This study developed 14 paired questions to measure intergenerational ambivalence. A questionnaire packet including other measures was given to 600 married women living in the northern part of Taiwan. They were recruited through 15 contact persons.Results: Findings from our sample suggested that, married women with higher frequency of intergenerational interaction tended to have more affectionate ambivalence (or wanting/worrying ambivalence), as well as obligated ambivalence (or willing/reluctant ambivalence) toward their parents. Those women had more obligated ambivalence toward their parents-in-law as well. It was also found that intergenerational ambivalence experienced by married women was higher toward their parents-in-law than toward their parents, which is true in both affectionate ambivalence as well as obligated ambivalence.Regression analyses further indicated that obligated ambivalence toward parents-in-law and parents-in-law's intrusion both negatively predicted married women's health. On the other hand, parent's intrusion positively predicted married women's health.Conclusions: Results of the study indicated that there existed different types of intergenerational ambivalence among adult women and their parents/parents-in-law. It was also evidenced that intergenerational ambivalence was correlated with adult women's physical/psychological health. Future research should further study the complicated nature of intergeneration relationships.