Young university students’ cultural values, filial obligation norms, and ageism toward older people

Abstract

The present study examined Turkish young university students’ cultural values and filial obligation norms in association with their ageism toward older people. Participants (N  =  369) completed scales measuring relatedness and autonomy values, filial obligation norms, prescriptive intergenerational-tension ageism, ambivalent ageism, warmth and competence stereotypes toward older people, and frequency of intergenerational contact. Multiple hierarchical regression analyses showed that relatedness values were negatively associated with succession prejudice; and positively associated with benevolent ageism and competence and warmth stereotypes. Relatively authoritarian filial obligation norms were further negatively associated with consumption prejudice, and positively associated with benevolent ageism and competence and warmth stereotypes. Finally, mediation analyses showed that relatively authoritarian and emotional filial obligation norms explained the indirect association between the variables, the former for benevolent ageism and competence and warmth stereotypes; the latter for warmth stereotypes and frequency of intergenerational contact. The present study suggests that young people's relatively traditional cultural values and hierarchical familial norms play a role in their positive prejudice and stereotypes whereas relationship-oriented cultural values and emotional familial norms play a role in their warmth stereotypes and frequency of intergenerational contact. The findings help us understand how different contents and components of ageism toward older people are linked with young people's cultural values and familial norms.