| Sumario: | Objectives Reciprocity, a balanced exchange in interactions, is a crucial element of social exchanges and impacts caregiving outcomes. This paper aims to investigate whether perceived reciprocity plays a protective role against older adult abuse and neglect and to explore gender variations associated with this relationship. Methods A sample of 453 family caregivers reported daily perceptions of reciprocity in a 21-day micro-longitudinal study. Perceived reciprocity was measured by the participant's level of satisfaction with the amount of affection/appreciation shown by their relative with dementia in the previous 24 hr. Generalized linear mixed models examined the effect of perceived reciprocity on the odds of the caregiver engaging in psychologically aggressive, physically aggressive, and neglectful behaviors that day. Results Perceived reciprocity was associated with lowered daily odds of neglect (OR = 0.74, p = 0.003) and psychological abuse (OR = 0.57, p < .001). We calculated an interaction term of the effects of gender and perceived reciprocity on abuse/neglect to assess gender differences. Increased reciprocity reduced the odds of neglect for both males and females, but the reduction was greater for males (p = 0.032). Discussion Results suggest that receiving attention and affection for caregiving acts as a protective factor, particularly for male caregivers. While female caregivers face socially constructed role expectations, males, often taking on caregiving out of obligation, may benefit from reciprocal interactions that lower the risk of neglecting the care recipient. These insights contribute to a nuanced understanding of gender dynamics in caregiving to inform targeted interventions to prevent older adult abuse and neglect.
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