“What Do I Do?”: Exploring Elements of Solicited Advice and Relationship Satisfaction Between Emerging Adults and Their Parents

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation was to gain a better understanding of how emerging adult children respond to their parents’ advice, and uncover connections between advice and parent-child relationship satisfaction. Because emerging adults may experience uncertainty as they move toward adulthood, they may reach out to their parental figures when making new or important decisions. The current study took a closer look at the role elements of advice response theory (ART) played in an emerging adult’s decision-making process when asking a parental figure for advice. The study also considered the potential relationship between elements of ART and parent-emerging adult child relationship satisfaction. A total of 503 participants between the ages of 18 to 25 were recruited from a medium-sized Midwestern land grant institution. Participants completed an online survey to measure elements of ART, parent-child relationship satisfaction, and demographic questions. Six hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed. According to the findings of this dissertation, emerging adults consider parental advice characteristics and parent as advisor characteristics when deciding on the quality of the advice, and the intention to implement the advice received from their parental figures. Also, emerging adults reported that elements of ART play a role in parent-emerging adult child relationship satisfaction. Findings highlight that it is important for emerging adults to perceive their parental figures as trustworthy because perceived trustworthiness plays a large role in implementation intention, perceived advice quality, and perceived parent-child relationship satisfaction. Also, advice limitations do not play as large a role as previously expected.