Abstract
This study is a longitudinal investigation of the relationship between age and subjective outlook. Over the years, a number of theoretical positions have been introduced to either account for or to minimize age differences in attitudes, values and beliefs. The author has organized these theories of aging into three basic sociological frameworks or models: the “generations” model, the “age status” model and the “illusion of differences” model. Using a relatively simple methodological design, hypotheses derived from these models were tested through secondary analysis of survey data. Strong support was found for the “generations” hypothesis, weak support for the “age status” hypothesis, and no support at all for the “illusion of differences” hypothesis.
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