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Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science pp 1–8Cite as

Grandparenting

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  • First Online:

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Definition

Grandparenting including serving as alloparents may be beneficial for the development of the grandchildren and may provide role satisfaction, yet the longer duration of caregiving comes at a cost for grandparents.

Synonyms

Alloparents; Custodial grandparents; Discriminative care; Grandparental investment; Kin selection theory; Parents-as-mediators; Paternity uncertainty; Preferential investment hypothesis

Introduction

Becoming a grandparent can be one of the most jubilating moments in one’s life. In many cultures, grandfathers and grandmothers are revered and called “big father/big mother,” “big papa/big mama.” The addition of a new family member completes the basic intergenerational triangle of the family that includes grandparents, parents, and grandchildren (Van Ranst et al. 1995). Grandparents find a grandparenting role to be generative, meaningful, productive, and full of satisfaction (Thiele and Whelan 2006), while communities and macro culture consider the role of...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Development, SUNY Oswego, Oswego, NY, USA

    Mamta Saxena

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  1. Mamta Saxena
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Correspondence to Mamta Saxena .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, MI, USA

    Todd K. Shackelford

  2. Rochester, MI, USA

    Viviana A. Weekes-Shackelford

Section Editor information

  1. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA

    Kevin M. Kniffin

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Saxena, M. (2020). Grandparenting. In: Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_2347-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_2347-1

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