| Description |
Parental conflict with adult children is something that is well known anecdotally, but has rarely been studied in light of other, more serious conflicts between parents and their children. However, parental conflict with adult children (adult being defined as between the ages of 18 and 25) is something that can be as damaging to relationships as other, better studied conflicts. However, while it is a serious conflict, it cannot be termed aggression in the evolutionary sense, as it often serves to actually increase the reproductive fitness and future success of the offspring with which the parent is conflicting. Our research provides evidence that such conflict exists beyond the anecdotal forms that are so well known, and begins to quantify this conflict and its effects on both parents and their children. Additionally, we examine the evolutionary constraints on and possible explanations for such conflict, from both a biological, psychological, and anthropological perspective in order to better understand what is occurring. |
