ABSTRACT
Responses to measures of relationship quality and range of activity with their grandparents by young adult grandchildren from stepfamilies (n = 55) were different from responses of young adult grandchildren from single-parent (n = 70) and intact families (n = 266). Analysis of variance comparisons revealed significant differences with grandchildren from intact families having the lowest scores, grandchildren from single-parent families in the middle, and those from stepfamilies highest. While cross-sectional data cannot demonstrate cause and effect, a possible implication from the data is that with divorce the child’s relationship becomes closer with at least one grandparent as manifest by higher scores for those from single-parent families. In turn, the even higher scores by grandchildren from stepfamilies suggest that following the child’s move from single-parent family life to stepfamily life, the relationship with the grandparent takes on increasing importance. Descriptive insight concerning the distinctive characteristics of grandparent/grandchild relationships in different family forms is provided by the grandchildren’s rating of 29 reasons for closeness and 29 shared activities.
