Teenagers’ perceptions of communication and ‘good communication’ with peers, young adults, and older adults

Abstract

Taking an intergroup communication perspective, this study extends previous research into intergenerational communication. Firstly, we widen the respondent base, insofar as much previous research has tended to use college/university student respondents. Here, we asked young teenagers aged 12–16 years about their communication experiences with young adults aged 20–25 years and older adults aged 65–85 years as well as with their own peers. Secondly, we extend previous research on what constitutes ‘good communication’ from teenagers’ perspectives with these particular target groups. Results revealed that against expectations, the teenagers were less likely to differentiate between these age groups in terms of how accommodative, overbearing, and non-communicative the groups were towards them. On these dimensions, the teenagers’ evaluations were quite positive. Regarding how the teenagers themselves communicated with these groups, the teenagers reported that they made efforts to accommodate in various ways, although they did also report some discomfort in their communication with age outgroups. The teenagers reported that they were conscious of age along intergroup dimensions, but this affected their reported satisfaction with conversations with older people rather than with young adults. These findings are discussed in relation to previous research into teenagers’ communication and into young adults’ experiences with teenagers.

Keywords:

• attitudes
• age
• lifespan
• communication awareness

Notes

1. Some of the alpha reliabilities are lower than ideal, a situation that is not unusual for exploratory research. Future versions of the questionnaire and underlying dimensions need to be tighter to ensure that items, and especially factors, are valid. Of particular concern is the validity of ‘narrow-minded’ when applied to peers. For comparability purposes, we have retained this factor.