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boomerang child
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young adult child who returns to live with their parents after a period of living independently
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caregiver burden
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potential negative psychological, social, and financial impacts of providing unpaid care for family members
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compensatory model
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perspective that predicts that individuals will seek out and use positive interactions within one relationship or role to counterbalance the negative effects or missing benefits from another relationship or role
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defense mechanism
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psychological strategy to manage anxiety and stress triggered by developmental challenges
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egalitarian marriage
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marriage in which responsibilities are shared equally between partners, and roles are not prescribed according to traditional gender role stereotypes
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empty nest
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household of parents whose adult children have left the parental home to live independently
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eudaimonic happiness
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happiness derived from a perceived sense of purpose or meaning in life
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family of choice
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individuals who are not necessarily related by marriage or biology but have formed a committed kin-like network to play significant roles in each other’s lives
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family systems theory
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perspective that family dynamics are best understood as part of a complex and developing family unit, rather than as singular individuals or dyadic relationships
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generativity
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according to Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development, the middle adulthood challenge to find satisfaction through mentoring or care of others
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gray divorce
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divorces among couples after age fifty years
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launching
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process during which children transition from dependence on their parents into independent young adults
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role enhancement
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when people experience role expansion as rewarding
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role expansion
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increase in the scope of behaviors, positions, and responsibilities expected of a person
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role strain
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when the increased responsibilities associated with occupying multiple roles result in a decline in subjective well-being
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spillover model
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perspective that predicts the emotions generated by interactions within one relationship or environment can spread into other interactions or environments, creating a positive correlation among a person’s mood and behaviors across separate relationships or roles
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stagnation
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according to Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development, the unwillingness or refusal of generativity in middle adulthood