To explore perceptions of aging and older adults held by children who had grandparents participating in North Carolina

1. Purpose Data Collection Discussion To explore perceptions of aging and older adults held by children who had grandparents participating in North Carolina Senior Games(NCSG). • NCSG participants asked to volunteer their grandchild for the study if they had a relationship with their grandchildren defined as regular personal contact on a monthly basis or more • N = 12 • Participant ages ranged from 7 to 11 years • Drawing activity (i.e., “draw a picture of a typical older adult”) • Sentence completion exercise (e.g., “Most old people…,” “Old people always act…”) • Semi-structured interview (e.g., “Tell me about your grandparent;” “When you are with your grandparent, what do you do together?”) • Interviews voice-recorded, transcribed, and imported into MAXQDA10. A grounded theory approach to data analysis was used in examining the interviews • Children displayed a range of perceptions toward aging and older adults • Children perceived their NCSG grandparents as atypical because of their involvement in sport and other physical activities • Children and grandparents participated in leisure activities with one another • Children imagined their own aging as a time of participating in similar activities and being close with family members • Implications offered for the development of intergenerational programs that bring generations together in the context of physical activity and joint leisure pursuits • Young and old together showcasing the physical strengths of older adults supported the development of positive attitudes, stereotypes, and perceptions of older adults among younger children • Findings were linked to social cognitive theory and contact hypothesis PHYSICALLY ACTIVE GRANDPARENTS AND INFLUENCES ON CHILDREN’S PERCEPTIONS OF AGINGLiana McNutt, Carteret County, NCJason N. Bocarro, Karla A. Henderson North Carolina State University “It’s some person, some woman, watching TV, in a living room…because quite a few old people watch TV…she looks I guess relaxed.” A man is walking a dog in the mountains… Theoretical Framework Results • Social cognitive theory offered that children’s social interactions, experiences, and other environmental influences shape their thoughts and actions. • Contact hypothesissupported the idea that children’s interaction with a member of an outgroup (i.e. older adults) results in a change of attitude toward that outgroup. • Three themes: • Range of perceptions of older adults • See pictures • Focus on appearance of being “old” • Children with grandparents in NCSG saw older adults as more active • Building relationships with grandparents through leisure activities • Time with grandparents involved leisure activities such as eating, arts and crafts, and sports • Children were supportive of their grandparents’ physical activity endeavors just as many of the grandparents were supportive of the children’s interests • Some children experienced sports with their grandparents through spectatorship. Children watched their grandparents’ activities. Grandparents watched the children’s activities • Grandparents as role models for aging • Most children envisioned their own lives to be full of a variety of activities, just like their grandparents • Children’s grandparents were models of (successful) aging It’s an old guy playing basketball…” “The old person is about to knit and she’s going to knit and she turned on all the lights, and organized her house.” This research was conducted as part of IPARC (Investigating Places for Active Recreation in Communities), a research initiative sponsored by the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management in the College of Natural Resources at North Carolina State University.