Multiple Sources of Aging Attitudes

Perceptions of Age Groups and Generations From Adolescence to Old Age Across China, Germany, and the United States

Dados Bibliográficos

ID2315044
AutoresDavid Wei (0000-0001-5274-3998), David Weiss (0000-0002-7255-7428, Leipzig University, autor correspondente), Xin Zhang (0000-0003-0184-5868, Peking University, Beijing, China)
Ano2020
Volume51
Fascículo6
Páginas407-423
Data de publicação2020-07-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoJournal of Cross-Cultural Psychology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0022-0221 • E-ISSN: 1552-5422
EditoraSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/0022022120925904
OpenAlexW3034013112
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas17
Referências citadas55

Emerging evidence suggests that people not only categorize themselves and others based on age but also in terms of their generational membership. This cross-cultural study compared attitudes and stereotypes toward age and generational groups across the life span in China, Germany, and the United States including 1,112 participants between 18 and 86 years of age. We asked younger, middle-aged, and older respondents to rate either six age groups (e.g., adolescents, young adults, middle-aged adults, young-old, older, and old-old adults) or six matching generational groups (e.g., Generation Z, Millennials, Generation X, Baby Boomer, Silent Generation, and Greatest Generation) on various characteristics (e.g., happy, competent, selfish). Consistent with our hypotheses, the results demonstrate that across all three countries older generations were perceived consistently more positive, whereas older age groups were perceived as less positive. These findings suggest that generations represent a source of positive regard and high social status in later life across different countries with different historical backgrounds and cultures

Age discrimination · Age groups · Baby boomers · Categorization · China · Developmental psychology · Generation x · Geography · Middle age · Perception · Political science · Sociology · Young adult · Aging and Gerontology Research · Demography · Medicine · Psychological and Temporal Perspectives Research · Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction · Psychology · Gerontology