• 한국노년학
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.1001-1024
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• 2009

This study investigates what older adults have image of older adult with relation to their self-identity. Fourteen participants are interviewed in this study. The main findings are as follows. Their response to image of older adult is divided in the form of 'denial' and 'accommodation' about social images of older adults. 'Denial' has 'total denial' and 'selective denial' while 'accommodation' includes 'acceptive accommodation', 'selective accommodation' and 'unwilling accommodation'. 'Total denial' indicates that the participants describe older adults very negatively, and they regard themselves as a person who is totally different from the older person they describe. 'Selective denial' represents that the participants have two types of older adults: negative and positive. They describe that they are close to the positive type of older adults themselves although they do not admit that they are older adults. 'Acceptive accommodating' does not describe older adults negatively, and they identify themselves as older adults. 'Selective accommodating' are very similar to 'selective denial' although the former differs from the latter in that they accept that they are older adults. 'Selective accommodating' also includes negative and positive types of older adults, and this type of participants admit that they are older adults, and believe that they belong to the positive type. In contrast to 'acceptive accommodating', 'unwilling accommodating' describes older adults very negatively. However, the participants belonging to 'unwilling accommodating' comes to accept that they are older adults due to irresistible realities.