Related Experiment Videos
Intergenerational potential: effects of social interaction between older adults and adolescents
Eva-Marie Kessler1, Ursula M Staudinger
1Jacobs Center for the Study of Lifelong Learning, Jacobs University Bremen, Germany. e.kessler@jacobs-university.de
Abstract:
The present study aimed to investigate the potentially facilitative effect of the interaction between older adults and adolescents. For older adults, the interaction was expected to compensate for age-related deficits (e.g., cognitive performance, cognitive-affective complexity). In case of the adolescents, an optimization of development was expected (e.g., prosocial behavior, communion goals). Ninety older women (70-74 years) and 90 adolescent girls (14-15 years) were randomly assigned to 3 experimental conditions. In each of the conditions, nonfamiliar dyads collaborated on 1 task. The conditions varied according to the age composition and the type of contextual demand (high vs. low support of generativity [older adults] and identity formation [adolescents]). Individual performance measures were assessed immediately after the interaction. As expected, intergenerational settings characterized by high support of generativity and identity formation resulted in more prosocial behavior in adolescents. Furthermore, the results lent partial support to the hypothesis that in older adults, this setting facilitated higher complexity of emotion regulation as well as higher levels of performance in measures of speed and word fluency.
Related Concept Videos
Relationship with Other Adult Family Members and Siblings
Influence of Parents and Peers on Identity
Parental Influence on Identity Development
Parents serve as primary guides and managers in an adolescent's life, offering support instrumental in decision-making and personal growth. This guiding role...
Cognitive Development During Adolescence
Erikson's Theory on Socioemotional Development during Adolescence
Erikson's Theory on Socioemotional Development during Adulthood
Intimacy Versus Isolation in Early Adulthood
Individuals in early adulthood, from the 20s...
Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age