Children's Attitudes Toward the Elderly in Korea and the United States

Abstract

Children's attitudes toward the elderly in the cultures of Seoul, Korea, those of children of Korean heritage in the United States, and Anglo children in the United States were assessed. Two subtests, the Word Association and Semantic Differential of Children's Attitudes Toward the Elderly (The CATE) were used to assess attitudes toward the elderly. The results suggest that children's attitudes toward the elderly are complex and multidimensional. Children of Korean heritage in the United States rated the old more positively on the total score of the SD. These children, as did the Anglo children, rated the old as healthier and cleaner than did children in Seoul. Children of Korean heritage and those in Seoul viewed elders more frequently as right, good and friendly.