GALLUP NEWS SERVICE
PRINCETON, NJ -- Mother's Day is fast approaching, and did you know that yours is probably expecting more than just a hug? Asked what they think family members are likely to do to recognize them on their special day, four in ten mothers interviewed in a recent Gallup poll anticipate receiving a purchased gift, 37% expect to receive a card and 35% think they will probably be taken out to dinner. In addition to these top mentions, 28% say it's likely their family members will call them, 17% anticipate a handmade gift, and 17% expect flowers. Only 1% of American mothers say they are likely to get no gift or recognition on Mother's Day, while another 2% are not sure.
By all accounts, mothers deserve the expressions of love and thanks they will get this weekend. Nearly nine in ten American adults (88%) report that their own mother has had a positive influence on them. This includes 64% who say her influence has been "very positive" and another 24% who describe it as "somewhat positive." Just 5% are neutral on the question, while another 5% are negative -- with 3% describing their mother's influence as "somewhat negative," and 2% as "very negative."
Asked about the relationship they have with their mothers today, Americans' positive feelings run even higher. Ninety-two percent of adults say their current relationship with their mother is positive, including 74% who describe it as "very positive" and 18% as "somewhat positive."
Fortunately, mothers seem to be well aware of the positive feelings their families have. Eighty-five percent of mothers say their family appreciates them enough, while only 14% disagree. However, to some degree this recognition seems to build with age: only 77% of younger mothers, aged 18-49, say they are appreciated enough by their family, compared to 95% of mothers aged 50 and older.
Mothers Still Rule the Roost
Sorry, dads, but
in spite of the sexual revolution, mothers still outscore fathers
in the influence department -- a finding that has changed little
since Gallup first measured it nearly a half century ago. When
asked to choose, a majority of Americans identify their mother,
rather than their father, as the one who had more influence on them
when growing up, 53% vs. 28%. In 1951 the figures were similar,
with 48% naming their mother and 22% their father.
Perhaps not surprisingly, however, men and women see this issue differently, with women more likely than men to choose their mother as having had the greater influence. Six in ten women say their mother had more influence, compared to only 45% of men. Still, mothers beat out fathers in the influence department even among men: only 34% of men say their father had more influence.
Fathers also get lower ratings in the rearing department, with only 49% of Americans saying their father had a "very positive" influence on them -- compared to the 64% figure for mothers. However, with another 28% saying their father's influence was "somewhat positive," only 12% describe their father's influence as negative to any degree. As noted, just 5% feel this way about their mother.
Survey Methods
The results below are based on
telephone interviews with a randomly selected national sample of
1,031 adults, 18 years and older, conducted May 5-7, 2000. For
results based on this sample, one can say with 95 percent
confidence that the maximum error attributable to sampling and
other random effects is plus or minus 3 percentage points. In
addition to sampling error, question wording and practical
difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into
the findings of public opinion polls.
Looking back on the time when you were growing up, which of your parents would you say had the greater influence on your life -- your mother or your father?
|
Mother |
Father |
BOTH EQUALLY |
NEITHER/ |
No opinion |
|
|
2000 |
|||||
|
Total |
53% |
28 |
15 |
4 |
* |
|
Men |
45% |
34 |
16 |
4 |
1 |
|
Women |
61% |
22 |
14 |
3 |
-- |
|
1997 Feb 24-26 |
53% |
27 |
17 |
2 |
1 |
|
1951 Aug 3-8 |
48% |
22 |
25 |
-- |
5 |
Thinking back would you say that your [ROTATE: mother/father] had a very positive influence, a somewhat positive influence, neither positive nor negative, a somewhat negative influence, or a very negative influence on you? How about your … ?
|
Very positive |
Some- |
Neither positive nor negative |
Some- |
Very negative |
NOT APPLIC-ABLE (vol.) |
No opinion |
|
|
A. Mother |
|||||||
|
2000 May 5-7 |
|||||||
|
Total |
64% |
24 |
5 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
Men |
65% |
24 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
|
Women |
63% |
24 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
|
B. Father |
|||||||
|
2000 May 5-7 |
|||||||
|
Total |
49% |
28 |
7 |
7 |
5 |
1 |
3 |
|
Men |
52% |
29 |
6 |
6 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
|
Women |
46% |
27 |
7 |
9 |
7 |
1 |
3 |
How would you characterize your relationship with your mother today -- is it very positive, somewhat positive, neither positive nor negative, somewhat negative, or very negative?
BASED ON -- 649 -- WHOSE MOTHER IS LIVING TODAY; +/- 4 PCT PTS
|
Very positive |
Some- |
Neither positive nor negative |
Some- |
Very negative |
NOT APPLIC- |
No opinion |
|
|
2000 May 5-7 |
|||||||
|
Total |
74% |
18 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
* |
-- |
|
Men |
74% |
18 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
* |
-- |
|
Women |
74% |
18 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
* |
-- |
How would you characterize your relationship with your father today -- is it very positive, somewhat positive, neither positive nor negative, somewhat negative, or very negative?
BASED ON -- 523 -- WHOSE FATHER IS LIVING TODAY; +/- 4 PCT PTS
|
Very positive |
Some- |
Neither positive nor negative |
Some- |
Very negative |
NOT APPLIC-ABLE (vol.) |
No opinion |
|
|
2000 May 5-7 |
|||||||
|
Total |
59% |
24 |
8 |
3 |
5 |
1 |
-- |
|
Men |
62% |
25 |
6 |
2 |
4 |
1 |
-- |
|
Women |
56% |
24 |
10 |
4 |
5 |
1 |
-- |
Do you feel your family appreciates you enough as a mother, or do they not appreciate you enough?
BASED ON -- 408 -- MOTHERS; +/- 5 PCT PTS
|
Yes, enough |
No, not enough |
No opinion |
|
|
2000 May 5-7 |
85% |
14 |
1 |
Looking back on your life, would you say you, personally, have shown or showed enough appreciation to your own [ROTATE: mother/father]? How about to your own … ?
|
|
|
DOES NOT APPLY (vol.) |
|
A.Mother
|
2000 May 5-7 |
||||
|
Total |
81% |
16 |
1 |
2 |
|
Men |
81% |
16 |
1 |
2 |
|
Women |
82% |
15 |
* |
3 |
Which, if any of the following are your family members likely to do for you on Mother's Day this year -- [ROTATE: buy you a gift, make you a gift, send you flowers, send or give you a card, call you on the telephone, take you out to dinner] or something else? (Record up to six mentions)
BASED ON -- 407 -- MOTHERS; +/- 5 PCT PTS
|
Buy you a gift |
40% |
|
Send or give you a card |
37 |
|
Take you out to dinner |
35 |
|
Call you on the telephone |
28 |
|
Make you a gift |
17 |
|
Send you flowers |
17 |
|
Visit you/Will spend time with family |
4 |
|
Make dinner |
4 |
|
Make breakfast |
1 |
|
Will do household chores/Clean/Laundry |
* |
|
Give money |
* |
|
Give a hug |
* |
|
SOMETHING ELSE |
3 |
|
NOTHING |
1 |
|
ALL/EVERYHING |
9 |
|
No opinion |
2 |
* Less than 0.5%
(vol.) Volunteered response