Direct and extended intergenerational contact and young people's attitudes towards older adults

Drury, Lisbeth, Hutchison, Paul and Abrams, Dominic (2016) Direct and extended intergenerational contact and young people's attitudes towards older adults. British Journal of Social Psychology, 55. pp. 522-543. ISSN 0144-6665

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Abstract / Description

Research suggests that positive intergenerational contact can improve young people’s attitudes towards older adults. However, today’s age-segregated society may not provide ample opportunities for positive contact between younger and older adults to occur on a regular basis. In three studies, we investigated whether the positive attitudinal outcomes associated with direct contact might also stem from a more indirect form of intergenerational relationship: extended contact. In Study 1 (N = 70), extended contact was associated with more positive attitudes towards older adults even when controlling for direct intergenerational contact (contact frequency and contact quality). In Study 2 (N = 110), the positive effects of direct and extended contact on young people’s age related attitudes were mediated by reductions in intergroup anxiety and ageing anxiety. The mediational effects of intergroup anxiety were replicated in Study 3 (N = 95) and ingroup norms additionally emerged as a mediator of the positive effects of extended contact on young people’s attitudes towards older adults. Discussion focuses on the implications for strategies aimed at tackling ageism.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	attitudes; young people; older people; elderly; intergenerational contact
Subjects:	100 Philosophy & psychology 100 Philosophy & psychology > 150 Psychology 300 Social sciences
Department:	School of Social Sciences (to June 2021) School of Social Sciences and Professions
Depositing User:	Paul Hutchison
Date Deposited:	06 Jun 2016 08:35
Last Modified:	10 Sep 2020 16:07
URI:	https://repository.londonmet.ac.uk/id/eprint/1006

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