The Impact of Intergenerational Oral History on Perceived Generativity in Older Adults

Oral history projects provide a framework for rich intergenerational interactions. When elders are interviewed, the experience may provide opportunities for growth in perceived generativity, a developmental task associated primarily with middle adulthood but also important in late life. This descriptive study explores the impact of oral histories, conducted by college students with elders, on perceived generativity of elders using the Loyola Generativity Scale (LGS). Results show a statistically significant difference in LGS scores from pretest to posttest (p = 0.034), suggesting that engaging in intergenerational oral history interviews may play a role in supporting perceived generativity of elders.