Young people are less likely to be ageist when their friends have friendships with older adults, research led by psychologists at the University has shown.
Even when young adults have no social contact with older adults in their everyday life, if they are aware of a friend who is friends with an older adult this can increase their positive attitudes towards older adults as a whole, the researchers found.
Psychologists Lisbeth Drury and Professor Dominic Abrams of Kent’s School of Psychology, and Dr Paul Hutchison, London Metropolitan University, surveyed young adults to conduct the study, which is published online in the British Journal of Social Psychology.
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