Café Connections: Investigating Factors Motivating Older Adults to Seek or Avoid Intergenerational Contact

Creating interaction opportunities between people of different ages can reduce ageism and increase solidarity. However, spatial age segregation persists due to a lack of age-inclusive public spaces. We explored factors motivating older adults to seek/avoid contact with younger adults in regular neighborhood coffeeshops primarily frequented by younger customers. Semi-structured interviews in Study 1 (N = 12) revealed that older adults perceived age-related exclusivity in "young" spaces like coffeeshops, were hindered from visiting by metastereotypes and discrimination, but were motivated by perceived learning opportunities. Studies 2 (N = 107) and 3 (N = 218) employed questionnaires and tracked coffee vouchers, showing that participants with stronger learning goals and more positive metastereotypes showed greater intention to seek contact. However, only the higher-powered Study 3 revealed the importance of frequent intergenerational contact and learning goals for initiating contact in real-life. The discussion highlights implications for creating more age-inclusive spaces to foster intergenerational interaction.