Graduate Studies

 

First Advisor

Gilbert R. Parra

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Committee Members

Amy Napoli, James Bovaird, Julie Masters, Yan Xia

Department

Child, Youth, and Family Studies

Date of this Version

8-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Citation

A dissertation presented to the Graduate College of the University of Nebraska in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy

Major: Human Sciences (Global Family Health and Wellbeing)

Under the supervision of Professor Gilbert R. Parra

Lincoln, Nebraska, August 2025

Comments

Copyright 2025, Weiman Xu. Used by permission

Abstract

The early years of a child’s life are pivotal for social-emotional development. While extensive research has explored the role of family settings in fostering children's social-emotional development (Bornstein, 2005), the impact of grandparental involvement, particularly the caregiving dynamics between generations, remains less well understood. This study aims to fill this gap by examining two critical aspects of intergenerational dynamics among caregivers (i.e. parent-grandparent coparenting and parent-grandparent relationship quality) and their associations with children’s social-emotional development (i.e. social skills and problem behaviors). Two specific aims were delineated: 1) examine the unique contribution of parent-grandparent coparenting, especially the power and authority domain (i.e. power process and power outcome), to child social-emotional development; and 2) examine the unique contribution of parent-grandparent relationship quality to child social-emotional development. The study used cross-sectional survey data collected from 286 parent-grandparent dyads with children aged 3 to 6 years in China and used path analysis to achieve the research aims.

Four key findings emerged. For intergenerational coparenting, 1) grandparent-reported intergenerational coparenting, particularly the power outcome dimension, which represented the extent to which grandparents felt their perceptions were acknowledged and integrated in childrearing decisions, was significantly associated with lower levels of child problem behaviors; 2) parent-reported intergenerational coparenting did not show any significant, unique contribution to child social-emotional development. Regarding intergenerational relationship quality, 1) parent-reported intergenerational relationship quality was significantly and positively associated with children’s social skills; 2) grandparent-reported intergenerational relationship quality did not significantly predict either child social skills or problem behaviors. Situated within the cultural and structural context of China, where grandparental involvement is both normative and substantial, this study highlights the importance of moving beyond parent-focused models of caregiving. The results also offer critical insight into the differentiated roles of parents and grandparents in shaping children’s outcomes.

Advisor: Gilbert R. Parra

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