Older Adult Health Condition as a Moderator of How Middle-Aged Adults’ Ageist Attitudes and Aging Anxiety Relate to Their Compassion for and Emotional Distance from Older Adults

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objectives Using Terror Management Theory and Social Identity Theory as frameworks, we examined whether the relationship of aging anxiety to compassion for and emotional distance from older adults was mediated by ageist attitudes and whether an older adult’s health condition moderated these relationships. Method Using an experimental design, 292 middle-aged adults (40–55 years) were assigned to read a description of an older adult with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), prostate cancer, or who was healthy. Results The relationship of aging anxiety to compassion was mediated by ageist attitudes in both the AD and prostate cancer conditions. More ageist attitudes related to less compassion more strongly for unhealthy older adult conditions than for the healthy older adult condition as well as for the AD condition compared to the cancer condition. Ageist attitudes related to more emotional distance from the older adult with AD than the older adult with cancer. Discussion Older adults with AD may evoke a stronger relationship of ageist attitudes with emotions toward older adults. These findings extend previous research by examining middle-aged participants, a population often serving as caregivers to their aging relatives.