Willingness to Interact with an Old Person

Abstract

A 3 x 2 factorial design tested the effects of the age and socioeconomic status of a stimulus-person on the willingness of college students to associate with him at a "formal lecture" and at an "informal discussion and coffee hour." For the more intimate coffee hour situation, willingness to associate with a high socioeconomic status person did not differ by age, whereas willingness to associate with a low socioeconomic status person was significantly greater when he was either young or middle-aged than when he was old. These results indicate that old age is a stigma that wealth, in certain circumstances, can overcome.