---
_id: '65028'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: <jats:p>Support is a vital resource at every stage of development throughout
    the lifespan. In the mother-child relationship, the exchange of support is subject
    to change in relation to the tasks and framework conditions of the current phase
    of life. While values and norms typically include social expectations, attitudes
    summarize individual thoughts or feelings. During young adulthood and midlife,
    attitudes are particularly important for the mutual support between mothers and
    their adult children when there are no practical framework conditions, such as
    care needs, that necessitate support. This study uses social exchange theory to
    examine the mediating role of felt obligation and perceived mutual reciprocity
    as important attitudes in the well-known relation between mothers and their adult
    children receiving and giving support. The sample consisted of 598 German adults
    (aged 20–49, 55.2% female) and 577 mothers (aged 40–87) of these adults; both
    perspectives were taken into account. The results from the parallel mediation
    analyses, in which instrumental and emotional support were considered separately,
    showed a mediating effect of felt obligation on the instrumental support of adult
    children for their mothers. The emotional support received and given by the adults
    to their mothers was mediated by felt obligation and perceived mutual reciprocity.
    The received and given instrumental and emotional support of the mothers to their
    adult children was mediated by perceived mutual reciprocity. The relevance of
    the adults' and mothers' different attitudes regarding support later in life is
    discussed.</jats:p>
article_number: '1508469'
author:
- first_name: Kathrin
  full_name: Schoenert, Kathrin
  last_name: Schoenert
- first_name: Sabrina
  full_name: Sommer, Sabrina
  last_name: Sommer
- first_name: Heike M.
  full_name: Buhl, Heike M.
  last_name: Buhl
citation:
  ama: Schoenert K, Sommer S, Buhl HM. Impact of felt obligation and perceived mutual
    reciprocity on support between mothers and their adult children. <i>Frontiers
    in Developmental Psychology</i>. 2025;3. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fdpys.2025.1508469">10.3389/fdpys.2025.1508469</a>
  apa: Schoenert, K., Sommer, S., &#38; Buhl, H. M. (2025). Impact of felt obligation
    and perceived mutual reciprocity on support between mothers and their adult children.
    <i>Frontiers in Developmental Psychology</i>, <i>3</i>, Article 1508469. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fdpys.2025.1508469">https://doi.org/10.3389/fdpys.2025.1508469</a>
  bibtex: '@article{Schoenert_Sommer_Buhl_2025, title={Impact of felt obligation and
    perceived mutual reciprocity on support between mothers and their adult children},
    volume={3}, DOI={<a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fdpys.2025.1508469">10.3389/fdpys.2025.1508469</a>},
    number={1508469}, journal={Frontiers in Developmental Psychology}, publisher={Frontiers
    Media SA}, author={Schoenert, Kathrin and Sommer, Sabrina and Buhl, Heike M.},
    year={2025} }'
  chicago: Schoenert, Kathrin, Sabrina Sommer, and Heike M. Buhl. “Impact of Felt
    Obligation and Perceived Mutual Reciprocity on Support between Mothers and Their
    Adult Children.” <i>Frontiers in Developmental Psychology</i> 3 (2025). <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fdpys.2025.1508469">https://doi.org/10.3389/fdpys.2025.1508469</a>.
  ieee: 'K. Schoenert, S. Sommer, and H. M. Buhl, “Impact of felt obligation and perceived
    mutual reciprocity on support between mothers and their adult children,” <i>Frontiers
    in Developmental Psychology</i>, vol. 3, Art. no. 1508469, 2025, doi: <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fdpys.2025.1508469">10.3389/fdpys.2025.1508469</a>.'
  mla: Schoenert, Kathrin, et al. “Impact of Felt Obligation and Perceived Mutual
    Reciprocity on Support between Mothers and Their Adult Children.” <i>Frontiers
    in Developmental Psychology</i>, vol. 3, 1508469, Frontiers Media SA, 2025, doi:<a
    href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fdpys.2025.1508469">10.3389/fdpys.2025.1508469</a>.
  short: K. Schoenert, S. Sommer, H.M. Buhl, Frontiers in Developmental Psychology
    3 (2025).
date_created: 2026-03-17T11:22:42Z
date_updated: 2026-03-17T11:24:08Z
doi: 10.3389/fdpys.2025.1508469
intvolume: '         3'
language:
- iso: eng
publication: Frontiers in Developmental Psychology
publication_identifier:
  issn:
  - 2813-7779
publication_status: published
publisher: Frontiers Media SA
status: public
title: Impact of felt obligation and perceived mutual reciprocity on support between
  mothers and their adult children
type: journal_article
user_id: '36251'
volume: 3
year: '2025'
...