AGE DIFFERENCES IN THE FREQUENCY AND NATURE OF ADULTS’ DAILY INTERACTIONS WITH OTHERS
2024
Age Differences in Daily Social Interactions
Sample size: 168
publication
Author Information
Author(s): Fiori Katherine, Rauer Amy, Birditt Kira, Turkelson Angela, Huxhold Oliver
Hypothesis
Are there age differences in the types and valence of daily social interactions among adults?
Conclusion
Older adults have more positive and ambivalent social interactions, but the decline in interactions is only seen within their inner circle.
Supporting Evidence
- 36.6% of all interactions occurred with people outside of the network.
- Only interactions within the inner circle declined with age.
- Older participants reported more positive and ambivalent interactions overall than younger adults.
Takeaway
As people get older, they still have positive interactions with others, but they talk less to their closest friends.
Methodology
Participants completed surveys every three hours for 4-5 days, reporting their social interactions.
Participant Demographics
Participants had a mean age of 52.96, with a range from 33 to 91 years, and included 66.1% female and 47.6% Black individuals.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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