Intergenerational transfers within the family context--motivating factors and their implications for caregiving.

The interdependence of generations, in both psychosocial and economic terms, has raised critical issues about the nature and role of reciprocity between adult children and their parents. This paper focuses on adult children as caregivers for their elderly parents and provides a conceptual paradigm for intergenerational familial exchanges. The paper builds on empirical studies of family care by investigating the factors that motivate the provision of support and assistance across generations.