Exploring the Role of Language and Goal Attainment in Intergenerational Gameplay

ABSTRACT

As the world population ages, interactions between youth and older adults in everyday life become more frequent, yet scholars are noting language barriers between different generations across the world. Drawing from social identity theory, a longitudinal field experiment was conducted in Singapore with 50 intergenerational pairs over 3 weeks to investigate effects of language (common vs. no common language) and goal attainment (successful vs. unsuccessful) on interaction outcomes. Results showed that digital gameplay reduced intergroup anxiety and improved intergenerational attitudes, and introduction of common goals circumvented language barriers. Theoretical contributions and practical implications of using technology to improve intergenerational perceptions are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Intergenerational communication
• older adults
• language
• goal
• digital games

Additional information

Funding

This study has received IRB approval (reference number IRB-2015-10-002).