Which of the following statements about older adults and their children is true?

• A. Older adults are generally uninterested in the lives of their adult children.
• B. Most older adults experience complete estrangement from all of their children.
• C. Older adults rarely communicate with their adult children after retirement.
• D. Older adults typically maintain regular contact and emotional closeness with their adult children.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the nature of intergenerational relationships, especially between older adults and their adult children, which often involve emotional bonds and regular communication.
2. Step 2: Recognize common misconceptions, such as the idea that older adults lose interest in their children's lives or become estranged, which research generally does not support.
3. Step 3: Consider empirical findings from developmental psychology and family studies that show older adults usually maintain strong emotional connections and frequent contact with their adult children.
4. Step 4: Evaluate each statement by comparing it to established psychological research on family dynamics in later life, noting that statements suggesting disinterest or estrangement are typically false.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the statement indicating older adults typically maintain regular contact and emotional closeness with their adult children aligns with psychological evidence and is therefore true.