Older adults' attitudes and support toward younger generation

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25590165
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Social psychology
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital and Institute of Gerontology
• Principal Investigator: KOBAYASHI Erika 地方独立行政法人東京都健康長寿医療センター(東京都健康長寿医療センター研究所), 東京都健康長寿医療センター研究所, 主任研究員 (10311408)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): FUKAYA Taro 地方独立行政法人東京都健康長寿医療センター, 東京都健康長寿医療センター研究所, 研究助手 (80312289) ; HARADA Ken 実践女子大学, 人間社会学部, 准教授 (40405999)
• Research Collaborator: MURAYAMA Yoh ; TAKAHASHI Tomoya
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 世代間関係 / 高齢者 / 子育て支援 / 援助行動 / エイジズム / ソーシャルサポート / 高齢者就労

Outline of Final Research Achievements

While previous studies have focused on attitudes toward older people such as ageism, this study focused on attitudes of older people toward younger generation and their associations with support giving for the young. We analyzed data of 813 persons aged 60-69 who were randomly selected in Tokyo Metropolitan area and responded to a mail survey (response rate: 54%). After developing scales such as "negative attitudes to the young" and "the community childrearing support scale," relationships between various attitudes and the supportive behaviors were examined. Among the attitudes, "generativity" or concern for the next generation showed the strongest positive effect on supportive behaviors, while "antipathy and avoidance (to the young)" showed a negative effect. Moreover, those who had experienced more support from seniors in their youth were more likely to have higher generativity and lower antipathy and avoidance, which promoted support for the young when they became 60's.

Free Research Field

老年社会学