IMPACT OF AN INTERGENERATIONAL PROGRAM ON BLACK-ADOLESCENTS ATTITUDES TOWARD THE ELDERLY

This study examines changes in black adolescents' perceptions of the elderly following participation in an eight-week intergenerational project. The project matched 19 teenagers with 19 elderly subjects from a large senior citizens center. Using an experimental design, students were matched by age with a control group (n = 20). A 20-item semantic differential scale and the Children's Perceptions of Aging and Elderly (CPAE) inventory were used to measure attitude change. Posttest results from a matched pair t-test found significant attitude change in the experimental group: semantic differential (t = 2.8, p < .01); CPAE (t = 4.2, p < .01). Qualitative comments from the youth and elderly participants further indicate positive qualities of the partners program.