早期親職行為對父母中老年期心理福祉之影響－子女成就滿意度的作用

Abstract

本研究運用生命歷程理論，探究父母在子女青少年期的親職行為，對其中老年時心理福祉的影響，進一步以父母對子女成年後的成就滿意度為中介變項，探討父母在子女青少年期的親職行為與中老年時心理福祉的關係。資料來源為「臺灣青少年歷程」（Taiwan Youth Project, 簡稱TYP）資料庫，使用2000年、2002年及2019年三波家長樣本的長期追蹤資料，計有男性299人，女性1050人，共1349個樣本。研究主要發現：(一)父母早期的親職行為對父母中老年的心理福祉無直接影響，但會透過對子女成就滿意度，間接影響其中老年心理福祉，且早期親職行為的不同內涵對子女成就滿意度及中老年父母的心理福祉影響機制不同。(二)父母對成年子女的成就滿意度與中老年期的心理福祉顯著關聯，對子女的成就越滿意，父母的中老年心理福祉越高，顯示出華人家庭中代間關係的「榮親」意涵。(三)父母早期親職行為、對子女成年後的成就滿意度，及其中老年心理福祉三者間的關聯存有性別的差異。母親在各項親職行為的付出均較父親來得高，再者，母親在子女青少年期的親職行為，「生活照顧」透過母親對子女成年後的成就滿意度，正向影響母親中老年的心理福祉，「限制約束」透過對子女成年後的成就滿意度，負向影響母親中老年的心理福祉；父親在子女青少年期的親職行為，僅「限制約束」透過對子女成年後的成就滿意度，負向影響父親中老年的心理福祉。整體而言，母親在子女青少年期的親職行為，對其中老年心理福祉的影響，體現華人文化下，父母養育子女、期許子女成就，增進其中老年心理福祉的一種「社會交換」回饋模式，早期對子女的投資，透過對成年子女成就滿意的評價，轉換成父母中老年時的欣慰、父母角色任務及養育子女責任的圓滿完成。

This study adopted the life course theory to investigate the effects of early parenting behavior to adolescent on psychological well-being among middle-aged and elderly parents. The mediating effects of the parents’ satisfaction with their children’s achievements is also discussed further. Longitudinal data on 1,349 parents in year 2000, 2002, and 2019 from the Taiwan Youth Project (TYP) database were collected, which contained data of 299 fathers and 1,050 mothers. The results are as follows: (1) Early parenting behavior did not directly affect the parents’ psychological well-being among middle-aged and elderly, but it did indirect affect their psychological well-being through the mediating effects of their satisfaction with their children’s achievements. Moreover, the effect mechanism of early parenting behavior affected parents’ satisfaction with their children’s achievements and their psychological well-being among middle-aged and elderly is different. (2) Parents’ satisfaction with their adult children’s achievements was strongly correlated with their psychological well-being among middle-aged and elderly; that is, higher satisfaction led to greater psychological well-being. This reflected the importance of honoring parents in the intergenerational relations in ethnic Chinese families. (3) Significant differences were found between the fathers and mothers in early parenting behavior, satisfaction with their adult children’s achievements, and psychological well-being among middle-aged and elderly. The mothers dedicated themselves to parenting children more than the fathers did. To the mothers, “daily living care” positively affected their psychological well-being among middle-aged and elderly through the mediating effects of their satisfaction with their adult children’s achievements. By contrast, “restrictions” negatively affected said psychological well-being through the mediating effects of their satisfaction with their adult children’s achievements. To the fathers, only “restrictions” significantly affected their psychological well-being among middle-aged and elderly through the mediating effects of their satisfaction with their adult children’s achievements; that is, “restrictions” negatively influenced said psychological well-being. In summary, the effects of the mothers’ early parenting behavior on their psychological well-being among middle-aged and elderly is reflected in the ethnic Chinese culture. The relationships between raising children, parents’ expectations of their adult children’s achievements, and parents’ psychological well-being among middle-aged and elderly reflect a feedback model of social exchange. Parents’ early investment in their children, through their appraisal of adult children’s achievements, is converted to their middle-aged and elderly gratification from successfully fulfilling their roles and responsibilities as parents.