Changes in closeness between adult children and their parents: A turning point analysis

Researchers studying close relationships have long realized that child‐parent closeness is a critical component of human existence. Yet few studies in communication have analyzed closeness in adult child‐parent relationships. This exploratory study uses turning point analysis to examine the changing nature of closeness between parents and their adult children. Ten categories of turning points in closeness were identified, and differences and similarities in these turning points for mother‐child and father‐child relationships were explored. Seven patterns depicting the changes in closeness in the relationships between adult children and their parents emerged from the data.