Relational Satisfaction as a Mediator of Parent-Young Adult Conflict and Young Adults’ Emotional Labor

This study investigated the potential for young adults’ relational (dis)satisfaction with parents to function as a mediator in the association between their demand/withdraw patterns and emotional labor with parents. Based on a survey of 259 young adults, results indicated that young adults’ relational (dis)satisfaction functions as an explanatory mechanism, where demand/withdraw conflict with parents decreases their relational satisfaction, in turn increasing young adults’ emotional labor with parents. This finding may help family scholars better understand outcomes of parent-child conflict for older children, highlighting impacts on their emotional well-being and communication. In order to promote healthy family functioning and strong relationships, understanding fallout from parent-young adult conflict as well as factors that influence how young adults communicate their emotions with parents is pertinent.