Contact With Older Adults Is Related to Positive Age Stereotypes and Self-Views of Aging: The Older You Are the More You Profit.

This article investigates how contact with older adults relates to individuals' views of themselves in old age, focusing on both younger adults (intergenerational contact) and older adults (contact with same-age peers) across the domains of family, friends, and leisure. Analyzing data from 2,356 participants aged 39–90 from China, the Czech Republic, Germany, and the United States, the study found that more frequent contact with older adults is associated with more positive self-views in old age, mediated by more positive age stereotypes (AS). These effects were stronger for older adults, particularly in the friendship and leisure domains, while contact within the family domain showed weaker or no mediation effects. The findings suggest that encouraging contact among older adults themselves, especially in voluntary social contexts, may foster more positive aging perceptions, which have implications for health and well-being in later life.