Sanctification, Relationship Maintenance Behaviors, and Closeness Within Parent-Adult Child Relationships

ABSTRACT According to sanctification theory, parents and adult children who see their parent-adult child relationships as possessing sacred qualities will be more apt to behave in ways that protect it. Positioning relationship maintenance behaviors as an explanatory mechanism through which sanctification is associated with relational quality in parent-adult child (N = 205 dyads) relationships, an Actor – Partner Interdependence Model Extended to Mediation analysis was conducted. The results indicated that parents’ sanctification is indirectly associated with both parent and adult children’s reports of closeness via relationship maintenance behaviors. Likewise, adult children’s sanctification is indirectly associated with both parent and adult children’s reports of closeness via relationship maintenance behaviors. Theoretical and practical implications of relationship maintenance behaviors mediating the relationship between sanctification and closeness in parent-adult child relationships are discussed.