This study examines both the motives for and the benefits of attending a university programme for older people (UPOP) in Spain, and how they vary with the type of UPOP. Two UPOP models were assessed : The ' Older People's Classes ' of the University of Barcelona, which is organised as a lecture course, and the ' University of Experience ' at the University of Valencia, which is a three-or fouryear variant of regular university degrees. A sample of 321 older students (mean age 67.5 years) was gathered from the two UPOPs, 161 participants from the former and 157 from the latter. The findings suggest that expressive motives such as acquiring knowledge, expanding the mind or learning for the joy of learning were the most important reasons for joining a UPOP, and that among the perceived benefits from taking classes at university featured ' gaining more friends ', ' enhanced self or life-satisfaction ' and ' joy in life '. Perceived benefits were particularly high among the less educated and the older students. While students participating in the Older People's Classes were older and included relatively more women, differences between the two models in motives and benefits did not exist or were slight. These results are discussed in the context of new strategies to improve university courses aimed at older students.KEY WORDS -older students, third age universities, educational motives, benefits of education, active ageing, long life education.

This work aims at studying the meaning of the grandparent role both from the grandparent's and the grandchild's point of view, and at assessing the effects of gender and age in this meaning. To do so, data were collected from a sample of 154 grandparent-grandchild dyads, who filled in a questionnaire with the same items adapted to their respec-Carme Triadó

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PALABRAS CLAVE ADICIONALES ADDITÍONAL KEYWORDS Relaciones intergeneracionales, satisfacciónIntergenerational Relations, Satisfaction RESUMEN. El presente estudio se centra en la identificación de los factores que predicen la calidad en la relación intergeneracional abuelos-nietos desde la percepción que tienen los jóvenes. Los resultados de nuestra investigación se basan en una muestra de 361 jóvenes españoles entre 15 y 25 años que respondieron a un cuestionario sobre el "abuelo preferido". Los resultados del análisis multivariante indican que los aspectos que determinan la calidad de la relación son: a) la frecuencia del contacto entre abuelos y nietos; b) la relación cercana y frecuente entre abuelos y padres; c) las actividades de acompañamiento (conversar, pasear, mirar fotos y recuerdos familiares, visitar amigos y familiares, discutir y tomar decisiones, rezar) entre abuelos y nietos; y d) la percepción del abuelo/a como cuidador y como maestro, fuente de adquisición de conocimientos y destrezas.ABSTRACT. This study tries to identify the main factors determining the quality in grandparent/ grandchild relationships írom the perspective of grandchildren. Three hundred and sixty one Spanish young adults responded to questions conceming the quality of their relationship with the "preferred" or "most cióse" grandparent. Results indicated the following aspects as significant predictors of grandparent-grandchild relationship: a) the frequency of contact between grandparents-grandchildren; b) the quality of the parent-grandparent relationship; c) the number of shared activities; and d) the perception of the grandparent as "caregiver" and "teacher".E-maU: sacramento.pinazo@uv.es *Esta investigación forma parte del Proyecto I+D financiado por la DIGICYT (BSO2002-02604) Revista Internacional de Sociología (RIS)

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