本研究的主要目的在探討：處於不同生活場域的老年人與大學生，在面子事件的感受方面，有麵差異性存在。依據過去研究發現與理論的推演，本研究提出三個命題：(1)老年人所感受的面子事件，較多涉及他在親密社會中賦予的地位，麗即他在親密社會中為人父母的輩分；而大學生所感受的面子，會較著重運作社會中獲致之地位，亦即身為一個學生的課業成就表現；(2)和大學生相較之下，老年人所認定的面子事件，較多涉及親近他人的行為表現；(3)不論是老年人或大學生，都會注重維護其道德性的臉面。同時並以三項實徵研究的資料來說明上述命題。研究一以訪談方式，蒐集老年人與大學生對「有面子/沒面子」事件的看法。結果顯示：確實有上述三項命題所主張的趨勢存在。研究二以配對比較作業，探討研究一所得到的結果。結果顯示：在有面子方面，老年人對「子女品德」與「子女成就」的正向事件感到最有面子，大學生則是對「自己成就」與「自己品德」的正向事件。在沒面子方面，老年人與大學生都是對「自己品德」的正向事件。在沒面子方面，老年人與大學生都是對「自己品德」的負向事件感到最沒面子。研究三要求參與者評估自己受不同社會對象公開批評的面子感受，結果顯示：最可能讓老年人感到沒面子的是受到「子女」公開指責；對大學生來說，則是「老師」。

Differences between senior citizens and university students in the experience of various face-related emotions in contemporary Taiwanese society are explored. Based on our theoretical analyses of the Chinese concept of face, three hypotheses are proposed: (1)Senior citizens are more sensitive to face episodes related to their ascribed status in intimate society, while university students are more sensitive to face episodes related to their achieved status in operative society. (2)Compared with university students, senior citizens are more sensitive to face episodes caused by significant other. (3)Both senior citizens and university students are concerned about maintenance of their moral face. Three empirical studies were conducted to test these hypotheses. Qualitative data about face episodes collected in Study 1 supported all three hypotheses. Parried comparison tasks in Study 2 showed that senior citizens experience face through morality and achievement of their children, while university students are more sensitive to face episodes related to personal achievement and morality. Both groups felt loss of face for negative episodes of personal morality. In Study 3 participants evaluated their feelings toward a scenario of being publicly blamed by different social targets. Blame by one’s own children was most likely to make senior citizens lose face, while blame by a professor had a greater effect for university students.