The Impact of Intergenerational Contact on Age Discrimination among College Students: The Multiple Mediating Effects of Aging Knowledge and Intergroup Anxiety

Age discrimination not only seriously threatens the physical and mental health of the elderly, but also affects the career interests of college students. There is relatively little research on the mechanism of age discrimination in China. The internal mechanism of intergenerational contact to reduce age discrimination has not been elucidated. This study applied a questionnaire survey to test 546 college students. The results indicated that intergenerational contact could directly and negatively predict age discrimination, as well as indirectly affect age discrimination through the mediating effect of aging knowledge and group anxiety, as well as the chain mediating effect of aging knowledge and group anxiety. With the concerted efforts of schools, society, and parents, the contact routes between college students and the elderly could be created, which could help reduce age discrimination.