Mom still matters, UCLA psychologists report

If you ’re a parent who feels your college-age children would choose their friends over you, a new UCLA psychology study has a reassuring message: You’re probably underestimating their loyalty to you.The psychologists demonstrated for the first time that when forced to make a decision that benefits either a parent or a close friend, young adults are more likely to choose the parent.“Our study suggests mom still matters,” said Jennifer Silvers, a UCLA assistant professor of psychology and senior author of the study,which is published online today in the journal Psychological Science. “Parents continue to have an enduring impact on their children as they become adults — and on their decision-making.”Reed Hutchinson/UCLAJennifer Silvers and Joao Guassi MoreiraThe study involved 174 people between the ages of 18 and 30. Each was asked to play a series of games that forced them to choose between the interests of a parent and a friend they chose.  Each subject began with either $5 or 50 points, and was told to play as if the points could be redeemed for prizes, and the choices they made would increase or decrease their winnings. In half the rounds, all of the player’s gains went to the parent and all of the losses went to the friend. In t he other rounds, all gains went to the friend and all losses to the parent.In each round, participants were shown 16 cards on a computer monitor, with the cards “face down.” On the side that was hidden, each card indicated tha...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news