How negative parenting relates to adolescents’ perceptions of older adults: the roles of empathy and intergenerational contact

Abstract

Introduction Grounded in social learning theory, this study examines how negative parenting practices are associated with adolescents’ perceptions of older adults and investigates the roles of empathy and intergenerational contact in this process. Methods Data were collected from 2,011 Chinese adolescents using a three-wave longitudinal design. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized relationships. Results Negative parenting was significantly associated with less favorable evaluations of older adults on both the warmth and competence dimensions. Empathy mediated these relationships. Intergenerational contact further moderated the association between empathy and adolescents’ perceptions of older adults. Specifically, the indirect effects of negative parenting through empathy varied according to adolescents’ levels of intergenerational contact. Discussion These findings highlight family socialization as an important developmental context for adolescents’ perceptions of older adults and identify empathy as a key socio-emotional mechanism linking parenting experiences to intergenerational cognition.