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Journal of Happiness Studies

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01-10-2012 | Research Paper

Personal Growth and Meaning in Life Among First-Time Mothers and Grandmothers

Authors: Orit Taubman - Ben-Ari, Shirley Ben Shlomo, Liora Findler

Published in: Journal of Happiness Studies | Issue 5/2012

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Abstract

This cross-sectional study examined personal growth and meaning in life among mothers and grandmothers who recently went through major transitions in a woman’s life. It investigated the contribution of the internal resources of perception of self (self-esteem) and perceived characteristics of the situation (cognitive appraisal of threat, challenge, and self-efficacy) and the external resource of perceived social support, as well as two background variables: age, and frequency of meetings between mothers and grandmothers. Participants were 152 first-time mothers 6–24 months after delivery, and their own mothers who were first-time grandmothers (n = 152). The results showed differential contributions to meaning in life and personal growth in the two generations, indicating that the proposed variables can indeed explain growth and meaning in life in these life stages. They reveal not only the similarities and differences between the response of mothers and grandmothers to these parallel life transitions, but also how information about one generation may help explain the response of the other. The different patterns of associations which emerged for growth and meaning in life are also discussed.

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Title: Personal Growth and Meaning in Life Among First-Time Mothers and Grandmothers
Authors: Orit Taubman - Ben-Ari
Shirley Ben Shlomo
Liora Findler
Publication date: 01-10-2012
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Published in: Journal of Happiness Studies / Issue 5/2012
Print ISSN: 1389-4978
Electronic ISSN: 1573-7780
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-011-9291-5

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