Who believes in cross-age friendship? Predictors of the belief in intergenerational friendship scale in young adults

Abstract

Intergenerational contact is beneficial for both younger and older adults, but friendships that span across generations are uncommon. While this is partially due to situational factors, people's beliefs about the possibility of intergenerational friendship may also affect how they approach potential intergenerational interactions. In a sample of 209 students from a Canadian university, we validate the Beliefs in Intergenerational Friendship (BIGF) scale. Young adults were more likely to believe in intergenerational friendship if they had less ageist attitudes and if they were more conscientious, open, agreeable, and emotionally stable. Number of non-kin intergenerational social contacts (but not number of kin contacts) and closeness of an existing relationship with an older adult also predicted greater belief in intergenerational friendship. BIGF scores predicted willingness to regularly spend time with older adults and were a better predictor than either hostile or benevolent ageism. While not everyone believes that intergenerational friendships are possible, this novel scale may uniquely capture people's willingness to form relationships across generations.