A comparison of cross-generational attitudes about filial obligations

The purpose of this study was to assess the attitudes of students and their parents about their obligations toward each other and toward the elderly. A total of 483 high school and college students and one parent or older relative (mostly mothers) completed a six-page, closed-ended questionnaire. The sample was selected to represent a range of ethnic, economic, and social class backgrounds. The questionnaire asked for information about attitudes toward supporting elderly parents, political philosophy, abortion and sexual relationships, government spending, religious beliefs, relationship with mother when young, and demographic background. Participants from both cohorts completed identical questionnaires. The Murray Center has acquired the original questionnaires for 200 participants and computer-accessible data for all participants.