Moral intuitions, social skills and elder abuse: exploring a social exchange hypothesis
The Journal of Adult Protection
ISSN: 1466-8203
Article publication date: 20 April 2023
Issue publication date: 12 September 2023
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to operationalize and test some predictions of a social exchange theory of elder abuse. The theory proposes that the combination of low resources and high dependency/low relational power increases the older adult’s risk of abuse. The authors tested these predictions by exploring the association between morality (indicator of resources) and abuse, moderated by social skills (indicator of power).
Design/methodology/approach
This was an exploratory study. The authors collected data from 62 participants between 64 and 94 years old who frequented social-recreational centres.
Findings
The authors found a positive association between the moral intuition harm/care and the report of emotionally and financially abusive behaviours and denial of rights. The moral intuition authority/respect is negatively associated with the same types of abuse. The effects of moral intuitions on the types of abuse increased in older adults with generally high social skills and low assertiveness.
Originality/value
This study provided initial results for a psychological interpretation of a social exchange theory of elder abuse and highlighted the importance of relational models where moral intuitions interact with social skills to predict elder abuse.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This study was conducted at Psychology Research Centre (UID/PSI/01662/2013), University of Minho, and supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology and the Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education through national funds and co-financed by FEDER through COMPETE2020 under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement (POCI-01–0145-FEDER-007653). João F. Fundinho was funded by a scholarship from the Portuguese Foundations for Science and Technology – FCT – (PD/BD/105965/2014).
Citation
Fundinho, J.F. and Ferreira-Alves, J. (2023), "Moral intuitions, social skills and elder abuse: exploring a social exchange hypothesis", The Journal of Adult Protection, Vol. 25 No. 4, pp. 215-226. https://doi.org/10.1108/JAP-01-2023-0001
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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