Intergenerational communication as a factor in the development of personal qualities

Abstract

The purpose of this work is to study the role of intergenerational communication in the formation of personality traits among representatives of different generations. Until now, the role of intergenerational communication has not received enough scholarly attention. While the studies on the impact of parents and their parenting styles on the formation of a child’s personality are numerous, the influence of grandparents and older relatives on the development of personal qualities in children remains understudied. In Russia, older generations often participate in the upbringing of children on a par with parents, which explains the necessity for relevant research. Our hypothesis was that communication with grandparents or older generations impacts the development of personality traits in children. Moreover, this influence will vary depending on the characteristics of each generation. The initial data for the study were obtained from a survey of three generations of people: Z born after 1997 (average age 21), Y born 1981–1996, (average age 31), X born 1965–1980 (average age 55). The survey was used as a research tool. The participants were asked to assess the significance of communication with their grandparents, what personal qualities were formed under the influence of this communication and the degree of significance of these qualities. The Kruskal-Wallis criterion was used to assess the significant differences between the groups. The study revealed a certain pattern: for all generations, the most significant are leadership qualities such as responsibility, purposefulness, etc., as well as moral traits, such as benevolence and generosity. However, in addition, the study found individual specific features for each generation. Generation Z mostly refers to the formation of emotional traits as a result of interaction with the progenitors. In the representatives of group Y, the progenitors had significantly less influence on the formation of practice-oriented qualities compared to other groups, and in generation X on emotional traits. The specifics of personal traits are related to the time when the participants were educated, i.e., the influence of not only intra-family, but also historical factors.