Aging mothers‟ and adult daughters‟ retrospective rating of conflict in their past relationships. Current psychology: Developmental, learning, personality, and social

Retrospective accounts ofpast conflict between parents and offspring have been asso-ciated with a variety of implications for individual well-being and relationship quality in adulthood. The present study involved 48 dyads of healthy older mothers (mean age=76) and their adult daughters (mean age=44). Participants independently rated degree of conflict in their relationship when daughters were ages: 5-12, 13-17, 18-24, and 25-present. Mothers and daughters provided escriptions of the source of problems and their behaviors during the time period rated as most conflicted. Moth-ers ' and daughters ' memories of past difficulties were related to their roles in the relationship, but not to present relationship quality or individual well-being. Key words----older women, conflict, interpersonal tension, mothers and daughters, adolescence, memory, retrospective Relationships with offspring are central in the lives of older adults (Carstensen