• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.123-148
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• 2001

This study explores the factors affecting emotional support between aging parents and adult children living in separate households. With a social exchange perspective on intergenerational family relationship as theoretical framework, the effects of aging parents\` demographic characteristics, potential reward resources. and need for care were tested by analyzing data collected from 2.535 persons aged 65 and over in 9,355 sample households of \`National Survey of Living Status and Welfare Needs of the Elders-1998\`. The statistical analysis of 2,205 aging parents with adult children living in seperate households reveals that the aging parents who have potential reward resources are provided more emotional support by their children than the aging parents without resources are. Findings also show that the elders who live in same households with their own children, and need help from other people with instrumental activities of daily living obtain less emotional support from their children living in separate households. The empirical findings of this study support the social exchange perspectives on family ties between aging parents and adult children living in separate households. but only 8.9 per cents of variance in degree of emotional support is explained by the variables included in the model.