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Dimensions of stereotypical attitudes among older adults: Analysis of two countries
Author(s) -
Helmes Edward,
Pachancy A
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
geriatrics and gerontology international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.823
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1447-0594
pISSN - 1444-1586
DOI - 10.1111/ggi.12613
Subject(s) - population ageing , gerontology , scale (ratio) , successful aging , medicine , cohort , healthy aging , older people , population , psychology , environmental health , physics , quantum mechanics
Aim Much research on attitudes towards older adults has used younger adults as participants and identified a range of negative attitudes towards older persons. Comparatively little literature has explored the attitudes of older adults themselves towards their own age cohort. Methods The present study explicitly compared attitudes towards other older adults from samples of 195 older adults in A ustralia and 172 older C anadians. Attitudinal measures included the A ging A ttitudes Q uestionnaire (assesses older adults' attitudes toward other older adults), F raboni S cale of A geism (assesses younger adults' attitudes toward older adults) and the R eactions to A ging Q uestionnaire (assesses attitudes toward one's own aging), as well as a scale measuring knowledge of aging, the F acts on A ging Q uiz, adapted for A ustralia and C anada. Responses on the three attitudinal measures were subjected to principal components analysis. Results Two components emerged in both samples, one defined by the R eactions to A ging Q uestionnaire and A ging A ttitudes Q uestionnaire scales and the second by the F raboni S cale of A geism scales. Regression analyses to ascertain prediction of scores on the F acts on A ging Q uiz, adapted for A ustralia and F acts on A ging Q uiz, adapted for C anada showed that only the A ging A ttitudes Q uestionnaire scale for P hysical C hanges predicted scores on the F acts on A ging Q uiz, adapted for A ustralia and no attitudes predicted F acts on A ging Q uiz, adapted for C anada scores. Conclusions It appears that older adults distinguish between their own aging and aging in others. Knowledge of aging appears to be predicted only by attitudes toward physical changes. Given increasing proportions of older adults in the population, as well as increasing access to aging information available to older cohorts, continued research on how older adults view themselves and the aging process is important, and will almost certainly continue to evolve over time. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2016; 16: 1226–1230.