Differential Sensitivity to Administration Format of Measures of Attitudes Toward Older Adults

Reluctance to reveal sensitive or socially undesirable attitudes has posed a problem for measurement of personal attributes such as attitudes toward older people. These have long been documented to be negative and likely arise both from fears of one's own aging and the modern societal emphasis on youth. In order to increase our knowledge about the measurement of attitudes toward older people, we compared the administration of attitude measures toward older people by computer and conventional paper-and-pencil methods.