If you feel you have a closer relationship with your grandmother on your mother"s side than on your father"s side, it is no surprise to researchers at the universities of Newcastle and Antwerp. 1 on studies in the Netherlands, they claim that maternal grandparents (外祖父母) are likely to make greater efforts to maintain frequent contact 2 their grandchildren than paternal grandparents (祖父母).
They 3 that psychological behaviors related to human evolution are involved: women are always sure of their relationship to their sons or daughters 4 men can never be wholly certain they are their children"s biological fathers.
Furthermore, maternal grandparents are always more certain than paternal grandparents 5 a grandchild is related to them: "Thus maternal grandparents may go the extra mile to visit their grandchildren."
The study, 6 by Thomas Pollet and his colleagues, found that for grandparents 7 within 30 km of their grandchildren, more than 30 per cent of maternal grandmothers and 25 per cent of maternal grandfathers had 8 daily or a few times a week. In 9 , this fell to 15 per cent for paternal grandparents.
Mr. Pollet said: "Even in families where there has been divorce, we found 10 differences. Grandparents on your mother"s side make the extra effort."