論臺灣之年齡歧視：探討大學生與老年族群在孝道信念、人際親密、幽默風格與心理健康之關係

Abstract

過去研究發現年齡歧視會嚴重影響老年人的心理健康，但有關可能導致年齡歧視的潛在因素，或年齡歧視與心理健康之間可產生緩衝作用的因素卻極少深入探討。本研究旨在透過個人、文化及社會角度，針對與年齡歧視有關的潛在因素進行分析探討，並比較大學生及老年族群的差異性。本研究擬分析三個主要目的：年齡歧視（對老年人的態度）對心理健康（心理幸福感及心理困擾）的直接影響，及孝道信念和人際親密關係對年齡歧視的直接影響；年齡歧視在孝道、人際親密關係和心理健康之間的中介作用；以及幽默風格在年齡歧視與心理健康之間的調節作用。本研究採隨機抽樣的方式進行調查，分別回收1341份大學生及375份老年人有效問卷。本研究主要結果發現在中介效果的部分，年齡歧視不影響老年人孝道信念和人際親密關係與心理健康之間的關係。反之，大學生樣本反映年齡歧視對孝道信念和人際親密關係與心理健康具有完全或部分中介效果。在調節效果的驗證，老年人樣本顯示四種幽默風格均影響年齡歧視與心理幸福感之間的關係；自我貶抑型幽默風格則影響了年齡歧視與心理困擾之間的關係。大學生樣本則反映出有害的幽默風格(「攻擊型」與「自我貶抑型」)在調節年齡歧視與心理幸福感的關係上有顯著效果；自我提升型的幽默風格則顯著調節年齡歧視與心理困擾的關係。最後，本研究依據研究結果提出對實務上的應用與未來研究相關建議，並期待研究結果有助於建立一個更年齡友善的社會。

Past studies have reported that ageism significantly affects older individuals’ mental health. However, limited studies provide potential factors that may lead to ageism or introduce moderators that implement a buffering effect on the relation between ageism and mental health. Based on potential individual, cultural, and social variance, this current study was designed to further investigate and compare the results among different age groups. Three primary effects were examined in this study: the direct effect of ageism (attitudes toward aging) on mental health (psychological wellbeing and psychological distress), as well as the direct effect of filial piety forms and interpersonal intimacy concepts on ageism; the mediating effect of ageism on the relationship between filial piety forms, interpersonal intimacy, and mental health; and the moderating effect of humor styles on the association between ageism and mental health among young (university students) and older adults in Taiwan. Based on random sampling, 1, 341 undergraduate students and 375 older adults were recruited in this study. The results indicated that ageism did not mediate the relationship between dual filial piety forms, interpersonal intimacy, and mental health among older adults. However, the results for the undergraduate students revealed that ageism either completely or partially mediated the relationship between dual filial piety forms, interpersonal intimacy, and mental health. Additionally, it was found that the relationship between ageism and psychological wellbeing was moderated by all four humor styles, whereas only the use of self-defeating humor was found to moderate ageism and psychological distress. As for the undergraduate student sample, negative humor styles (aggressive and self-defeating humor) significantly moderated the relationship between ageism and psychological wellbeing, whereas only self-enhancing humor moderated the effect of ageism on psychological distress. Last, this study provided applicable suggestions and future recommendations, which are in hopes of successfully building a more age-friendly society.