Filial Piety Across Sociocultural Context and the Life Span

Abstract

Filial piety—children’s respect, duty, and care toward parents—is often misconceptualized despite its role in intergenerational relationships and aging societies globally. We challenge three prevalent misconceptions about filial piety: that it solely involves unwavering obedience to parents, that it exists only in Asian cultures, and that it exclusively concerns caregiving to older adult parents. Drawing from cross-cultural and developmental research, we propose an integrative framework incorporating three main dimensions (i.e., beliefs and values, affect, and behaviors) that evolve across historical time and developmental stages. This framework conceptualizes filial piety as a dynamic and multidimensional construct that varies systematically across sociocultural contexts, age groups, and historical periods. We conclude with directions for future research, specifically focusing on distinguishing dimensions of filial piety, methodological approaches for studying these developmental trajectories, and implications for understanding intergenerational relationships in context.