How age-morphed images make Me feel: The role of emotional responses in building support for seniors. (June 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lee, A.R.; Kim, E.; Hon, L.; Chung, Y.J.
• Is Part Of: Computers in human behavior. Volume 107(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-06
• Subjects: Age-morphing technology -- Perspective-taking framework -- Personal distress -- Empathic concern -- Senior-related issue campaigns; Interactive computer systems -- Periodicals; Man-machine systems -- Periodicals; 004.019
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2020.106263
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0747-5632

Abstract

Abstract: This study examined the role of emotional responses to experiencing age-morphed images in promoting individuals' attitudes toward seniors and behavioral intentions to support senior-related issues. We investigated whether temporal status (i.e., current vs. future) manipulated by using age-morphing technology and the subject of images (i.e., self vs. other) elicited different emotional responses—personal distress and empathic concern. Drawing on the perspective-taking framework, we tested these emotional responses as an underlying mechanism to explain the seemingly ambivalent effects of age-morphing technology. A laboratory and an online experiment was conducted on different samples: Study 1 on university students and Study 2 on an extended population sample with ages ranging from 21 to 52 years. The findings for Study 1 revealed that university students exhibited a greater level of personal distress when they saw an age-morphed image, which led to unfavorable attitudes toward seniors. The results of Study 2 revealed that, when people saw an age-morphed image of another person, they showed greater empathic concern than when seeing their old future image, which served as a moderated mediator leading to favorable attitudes toward seniors and behavioral and financial support for the senior-related issues. Unlike the finding of Study 1, the increased personal distress led to positive outcomes. In addition, participants exhibited greater empathic concern, which led to a higher level of supportive intentions. The results demonstrated both emotional responses could operate as potential effects of age group, generating different outcomes. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications. Highlights: Emotional responses to age-morphed images can influence attitudes toward seniors and supportive intentions. For college students, age-morphed images generated personal distress reducing positive attitudes toward seniors. However, personal distress leads to positive outcomes for respondents from the extended population (age between 21 and 52). For the extended population, age-morphed images of others than self induced greater empathic concern. Under the image of self-conditions, empathic concern mediates the relationship between temporal status and dependent variables. The emotional responses toward age-morphed images and its effects can vary depending on the respondent's age.