The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences Advance Access originally published online on July 15, 2009
The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences 2009 64B(5):551-559; doi:10.1093/geronb/gbp062
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Perceptions of Social Transgressions in Adulthood
1 Department of Child Development and Family Studies, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
2 Department of Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California, Irvine
Address correspondence to Dr. Karen Fingerman, Department of Child Development and Family Studies, 1200 West State Street, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907. Email: karenf{at}purdue.edu
 |
Abstract |
|---|
People may react differently when individuals of different ages commit a social faux pas. Younger (22 to 35 years old) and older (65 to 77 years old) participants read vignettes where age of characters committing social transgressions varied (young vs. old). Participants rated whether the offended person would respond with engagement, confrontational, and avoidant behaviors and how much people would blame or forgive the transgressor. Multilevel models revealed endorsement of avoidant behaviors with older transgressors, confrontational behaviors with younger transgressors, and engagement behaviors with both. Levels of blame and forgiveness mediated this association, with less blame and greater forgiveness of older adults. Discussion focuses on the social input model and why adults may regulate reactions to interpersonal problems with older adults.
Key Words: Adult development • Social network • Communication • Vignettes • Conflict • Transgression • Forgiveness
Received September 17, 2008; Accepted May 5, 2009