TY - JOUR
T1 - My child redeems my broken dreams
T2 - On parents transferring their unfulfilled ambitions onto their child
AU - Brummelman, E.
AU - Thomaes, S.C.E.
AU - Slagt, M.I.
AU - Overbeek, G.J.
AU - Orobio de Castro, B.
AU - Bushman, B.J.
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - From the early days of psychology, theorists have observed that parents sometimes transfer their own unfulfilled ambitions onto their child. We propose that parents are especially inclined to do so when they see their child as part of themselves, more so than as a separate individual. When parents see their child as part of themselves, their child’s achievements may easily come to function as a surrogate for parents’ own unfulfilled ambitions. In the present experiment, 73 parents (89% women, Mage = 43 years) were randomly assigned to reflect on either their own or others’ unfulfilled ambitions. Results showed that, when faced with their own unfulfilled ambitions, parents who see their child as part of themselves want their child to fulfill their unfulfilled ambitions. This study provides the first experimental evidence to suggest that parents may desire their child to redeem their broken dreams.
AB - From the early days of psychology, theorists have observed that parents sometimes transfer their own unfulfilled ambitions onto their child. We propose that parents are especially inclined to do so when they see their child as part of themselves, more so than as a separate individual. When parents see their child as part of themselves, their child’s achievements may easily come to function as a surrogate for parents’ own unfulfilled ambitions. In the present experiment, 73 parents (89% women, Mage = 43 years) were randomly assigned to reflect on either their own or others’ unfulfilled ambitions. Results showed that, when faced with their own unfulfilled ambitions, parents who see their child as part of themselves want their child to fulfill their unfulfilled ambitions. This study provides the first experimental evidence to suggest that parents may desire their child to redeem their broken dreams.
U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0065360
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0065360
M3 - Article
SN - 1932-6203
VL - 8
SP - 1
EP - 4
JO - PLoS One
JF - PLoS One
IS - 6
M1 - e65360
ER -