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

Drury, Lisbeth, Hutchison, Paul, Abrams, Dominic (2016) Direct and extended intergenerational contact and young people's attitudes towards older adults. British Journal of Social Psychology, 55 (3). pp. 522-543. ISSN 0144-6665. E-ISSN 2044-8309. (doi:10.1111/bjso.12146) (KAR id:55839)

Abstract

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
DOI/Identification number: 10.1111/bjso.12146
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Psychology
Depositing User: Dominic Abrams
Date Deposited: 27 Mar 2017 14:40 UTC
Last Modified: 04 Mar 2024 17:33 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/55839 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Drury, Lisbeth.

Creator's ORCID:
CReDIT Contributor Roles:

Abrams, Dominic.

Creator's ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2113-4572
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