2016/05/11 by Shaughan A. Keaton, Robert M. McCann, Howard Giles
Psychology · Social Sciences · #Aging and Gerontology Research #Cultural Differences and Values #Social and Intergroup Psychology
paper · doi:10.1080/10410236.2015.1099507
openalex publication_date 2016/05/11 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
This study examines age ingroup and outgroup communication perceptions of older Thai and American adults to assess whether communication perceptions of self and others are associated with mental health outcomes such as personal self-esteem, collective self-esteem, and life satisfaction. Results suggest that more accommodation by same-age older others leads to greater personal self-esteem, greater group esteem, and greater life satisfaction, while more nonaccommodation by younger others leads to less life satisfaction for the Thais and Americans. More overaccommodation by younger others was found to lead to less personal self-esteem and less life satisfaction for the sample as a whole. Discriminant loadings show life satisfaction was the most important variable in distinguishing between the prototypical older Thai and American respondent. The overall profile shows the typical Thai older adult participants as perceiving members of their own age ingroup as communicatively avoidant and overaccommodating while also experiencing lower collective self-esteem and life satisfaction. Typical older Americans tended to be associated with higher collective self-esteem and life satisfaction.