Gerontol Geriatr Educ. 2025 Dec 15:1-15. doi: 10.1080/02701960.2025.2603237. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
This study aims to investigate high school students’ attitudes toward ageism within the context of intergenerational conflict and to examine the sociodemographic factors associated with these attitudes and experiences. A total of 406 high school students from five different school types in Turkey participated in the study. Data were collected using a Personal Information Form, the Assessment of Conflict with Elderly People (ACE), and the Fraboni Ageism Scale (FSA). Group comparisons and correlation analyses were conducted to explore the relationships between key variables, including school type, family structure, maternal education level, co-residence with older adults, and willingness to live with parents in the future. Participants generally exhibited positive attitudes toward older adults. A significant negative correlation was found between levels of intergenerational conflict and levels of ageism (r = -0.398, p < .001), suggesting that students who reported lower levels of conflict with older adults also held more positive attitudes toward them. Levels of ageism differed significantly based on school type, family structure, maternal education, prior co-residence with older adults, and intentions for future cohabitation with parents. In contrast, none of these variables had a statistically significant impact on levels of intergenerational conflict. The findings suggest that while adolescents’ attitudes toward older adults are shaped by sociodemographic and familial variables, their perceived intergenerational conflict may arise from other contextual or relational dynamics. This discrepancy highlights the need for targeted interventions to foster intergenerational empathy and communication. The study provides original insights into age-related attitudes among adolescents in a non-Western context and contributes to the broader literature on ageism and intergenerational relations.
PMID:41398341 | DOI:10.1080/02701960.2025.2603237
