Investigation of Variables Affecting Attitudes of Emerging Adults Towards Older Individuals

Abstract

Similar to other countries, the ratio of the older people in the total population and the number of studies in this field is increasing day by day due to the decrease in the fertility rate and the increase in life expectancy in the Turkish culture. The aim of the present study is to examine whether a number of sociodemographic variables and different sub-dimensions of empathy predict the attitudes toward older adults. A total of 143 undergraduate students, 111 (77.6%) of whom were women, who were in emerging adulthood (M. = 19.76 SD. = 1.37, range 18-24 years) were included in the study. The data was collected using a ‘Demographic Information Form’, ‘The Interpersonal Reactivity Index’, and ‘Kogan’s Attitude Toward Older People Scale’ and hierarchical regression analysis was performed. ‘Willingness to live with the elderly in the future’ (yes; β = 0.42, p < .001, no idea; β = 0.30, p < .001) and ‘being a woman’ (β = -0.19, p = .017) were associated with a more positive attitude toward older people. Moreover, when ''willingness to live with the elderly in the future' and 'being a woman' were controlled in the first step, it was found that high 'empathic concern' positively predicted the attitudes toward older adults (β = .20, p = .038). Partially consistent with the previous studies, these findings indicate that ‘gender’, ‘want to live with an older person in the future’, and ‘empathic concern’ are significantly related to the attitudes toward older adults.

Keywords

• Attitude toward elderly
• empathy
• emerging adults

Beliren Yetişkinlerin Yaşlı Bireylere Yönelik Tutumlarını Etkileyen Değişkenlerin İncelenmesi

Öz

Diğer ülkelerle benzer olarak, ülkemizde doğurganlık hızının azalması ve yaşam süresinin artması ile yaşlı bireylerin toplam nüfus içerisindeki oranı ve bu alandaki çalışmaların sayısı her geçen gün artmaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, bir dizi sosyodemografik değişken ile empatinin farklı alt boyutlarının yaşlılara yönelik tutumları yordayıp yordamadığını incelemektir. Araştırmaya beliren yetişkinlik döneminde yer alan (Ort. = 19.76 SS. = 1.37, ranj 18-24 yaş) ve 111’i (%77.6) kadın olan toplam 143 lisans öğrencisi dâhil edilmiştir. Veriler, ‘Demografik Bilgi Formu’, ‘Kişilerarası Tepkisellik Ölçeği’ ve ‘Kogan Yaşlılara Yönelik Tutum Ölçeği’ ile toplanmış ve bulgular hiyerarşik regresyon analizi ile elde edilmiştir. ‘Gelecekte yaşlı bir birey ile yaşama isteği’ (evet; β = 0.42, p < .001, fikrim yok; β = 0.30, p < .001) ve ‘kadın olma’ (β = -0.19, p = .017) yaşlılara yönelik pozitif tutum ile ilişkili bulunmuştur. Bununla birlikte, ‘gelecekte yaşlı bir birey ile yaşama isteği’ ve ‘kadın olma’ ilk aşamada konrol edildiğinde, ‘empatik düşüncenin’ yaşlılara yönelik tutumu pozitif yönde yordadığı bulunmuştur (β = 0.20, p = .038). Elde edilen bu bulgular, önceki çalışmalar ile kısmen tutarlı olmakla birlikte, cinsiyet, yaşlılar ile birlikte yaşama isteği ve empatik düşüncenin yaşlı bireylere yönelik tutum ile anlamlı bir şekilde ilişkili olduğunu göstermektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Yaşlılara yönelik tutum
• empati
• beliren yetişkinlik

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