[Experimental investigation of intergenerational interaction and older adults' generativity]

This study examined the effects of the reactions of younger adukts toward older adults on the psychological attributese and behavior of elderly. Participants were 34 older male adults aged 60-82 years. They completed a questionnaire on generativity before and after the experimental condition, and were also observed taking flyers on different topics after the experiment. They were assigned to the younger condition or the same generation condition. In both conditions, the participants were asked to talk to recipients about experiences from their youth and the wisdom they have gained. The recipients responded to the participants in either a positive or a neutral way. The results showed that generativity was promoted most when the younger recipients responded in a positive manner, whereas the neutral reactions of younger recipients led to the inhibition of generativity. Younger persons' positive reactions promoted the participants' helping behaviors, as indicated by the flyers they took. The present study shows increases in the generativity of the elderly following positive reactions from younger recipients not only on questionnaires but also in an experimental setting.