The Fraboni Scale of Ageism (FSA): An Attempt at a More Precise Measure of Ageism

Senior nursing students' ageism and its associated factors: A national cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Ageism is prejudice or discrimination against different age groups, particularly older people. As senior nursing students in the last year of their studies prepare to enter the workforce, it is imperative to understand their level of ageism because of the high probability that they will care for older people during their nursing careers due to the global aging population. However, most research has focused on nursing students' knowledge and attitudes regarding older adults, and few studies have specifically investigated ageism among senior nursing students.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to understand ageism among senior nursing students and associated factors.

DESIGN

This was a cross-sectional descriptive study.

SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS

In total, 249 senior students from 16 four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs in Taiwan were recruited. Inclusion criteria were (1) a senior student enrolled in a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program and (2) the ability to read Chinese.

METHODS

Data were collected using an online questionnaire consisting of two parts: demographic characteristics and the Fraboni Scale of Ageism. The frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, t-test, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson product-moment correlation, and multiple linear regression were used to analyze data.

RESULTS

The average score for ageism among senior nursing students was 61.60 ± 7.73, out of a maximum of 116. Having a higher level of concern about ageism issues and having had grandparents who were primary caregivers during childhood were linked to a lower degree of ageism. The only predictor of senior nursing students' ageism was the extent of their concern about ageism issues (F = 18.47, p < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Senior nursing students demonstrated a moderate level of ageism. Faculty members should develop strategies to increase nursing students' awareness of ageism issues and develop appropriate interventions to prevent and improve their ageist attitudes.

Psychometric properties of the Fraboni scale of ageism (FSA) applied to long-term caregivers in nursing homes

BACKGROUND

The aging society has resulted in enormous demand for long-term care services. However, ageism is a common phenomenon in long-term care facilities, which not only hinders the quality of care for the recipients but also negatively influences caregivers' well-being. In this paper, we first applied the Fraboni Scale of Ageism (FSA) to evaluate its reliability and construct validity among Chinese long-term caregivers in nursing homes. This study could contribute to assessing the prevalence of ageism in Chinese long-term caregivers, prompting facilities and the government to recognize the issue of ageism and explore necessary interventions to reduce ageism in long-term caregivers.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study. We recruited 392 long-term caregivers using a convenience sampling strategy in nursing homes from two cities in Chinese central and northern regions. Parameters included the demographic characteristics, Cronbach's alpha coefficients, and intraclass correlation coefficient. The construct validity was conducted by exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis.

RESULTS

The Cronbach's alpha of FSA (Chinese version) was 0.856 and ICC was 0.871. The factor analysis identified 3 principal factors, explaining 43.95% of the total variance. The 3-factor model was confirmed to fit by confirmatory factor analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings confirm that the FSA is easy to use and has good psychometric properties. This study will contribute to improving the condition of ageism, thereby improving the quality of care for the elderly and retention of professional talents in the LTC system.

Ageism scale for dental students (ASDS): A focus group review of content validity

PURPOSE/AIM

Improve content validity of the Ageism Scale for Dental Students (ASDS) and identify barriers to using the scale.

METHODS

Thematic analysis of transcripts of three purposively sampled focus groups of 1) geriatric dentistry specialists, 2) older adult dental patients, and 3) dental students.

RESULTS

Twenty-five participants engaged in focus groups. No new concepts to define ageism were identified. Experts found the scale acceptable and appropriate, yet they raised specific potential revisions to scale questions. Commonly reported themes already addressed by ASDS included the importance of tailoring decision-making to patient preference and not making assumptions about older adults' capacity or preferences for dental care. Barriers to identifying ageism or using the scale included experiential differences in interpreting scale items, cultural differences in attitudes towards older adults, and potential overlap with social determinants of health. Secondary findings include recommendations for older-adult focused training for dental students to provide positive, concrete guidance on caring for older adults.

CONCLUSION

There are opportunities to refine the Ageism Scale for Dental Students and to allow tailoring of the scale for specific national or cultural contexts.

Translation and validation of ageism scale for dental students into Malay language

AIMS

Identifying ageism among dental students is essential in gerodontology courses. This study aimed to perform a preliminary validation of a Malay version of the ageism scale for dental students (ASDS-My).

METHODS AND RESULTS

The 27-item ASDS were translated into Malay language and completed by 168 dental students. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with Promax rotation, Polychoric Correlation Matrix and Principal Axis Factoring was conducted. Internal consistency reliability and discriminative validity were analysed. Criterion validity was measured by comparing ASDS-My with Fraboni Scale of Ageism (FSA). A Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin of 0.612 and a Bartlett's Test of Sphericity yielding p < .001 confirmed the adequate factorability. EFA revealed a 15-items scale distributed into five-factors explaining 54.5% of overall variance, with acceptable reliability. The two factors involved cost-benefit of dental treatment on older patients and challenges during medical history taking. The third, fourth and fifth factors explained attitude towards older patients, negative views of older patients and exposure of dental students to Gerodontology training and experiences respectively. Most factors were significantly positively related to FSA. Discriminative validity revealed significant differences for gender, place of stay and year of study.

CONCLUSION

Preliminary validation of the ASDS-My produced a five-factors 15-items scale with acceptable validity and reliability.

On the Measurement of Aging Anxiety: Comparative Validity of Two Popular Measures Among Older Adults

Aging anxiety is a distinct form of fear characterized by negative feelings associated with growing older. This study directly compared two common measures of aging anxiety within an older adult sample. Participants completed the Anxiety about Aging Scale, the Personal Anxiety Toward Aging Scale and several related constructs including ageism, expectations regarding aging, dementia worry, and death anxiety. The two measures significantly and strongly associated with one another. The Anxiety about Aging Scale (AAS) showed evidence of convergent validity through significant and strong correlations with ageism, expectations regarding aging, and death anxiety, and a moderate correlation with dementia worry. The Personal Anxiety Toward Aging Scale (PAAS) also showed evidence of convergent validity through strong correlations with expectations regarding aging and death anxiety, and moderate correlations with ageism and dementia worry. Factor analysis showed a better model fit for the AAS. Key findings lend support for the AAS as a psychometrically stronger measure than the PAAS for older adult assessment.

A Comparative Investigation of the Predictive Validity of Four Indirect Measures of Bias and Prejudice

Although measures of implicit associations are influential in the prejudice literature, comparative tests of the predictive power of these measures are lacking. A large-scale (N > 100,000) analysis of four commonly used measures-the Implicit Association Test (IAT), Single-Category IAT (SC-IAT), evaluative priming task (EPT), and sorting paired features task (SPF)-across 10 intergroup domains and 250 outcomes found clear evidence for the superiority of the SC-IAT in predictive and incremental predictive validity. Follow-up analyses suggested that the SC-IAT benefited from an exclusive focus on associations toward stigmatized group members, as associations toward non-stigmatized group members diluted the predictive strength of relative measures like the IAT, SPF, and EPT. These results highlight how conclusions about predictive validity can vary drastically depending on the measure selected and reveal novel insights about the value of different measures when focusing on predictive than convergent validity.

Professional attractiveness among long-term care workers in nursing homes in China: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

The population aging trend and the shortage of elderly care workers require the long-term care profession to become more attractive. However, the professional attractiveness among long-term care workers has yet to be extensively studied. This study aims to identify the factors that influence the attractiveness of the long-term care profession for nursing home (NH) care workers..

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted in more than 50 NHs. Perception of professional attractiveness among long-term care workers and potential associated factors were measured using the Attractive Work Questionnaire (AWQ) and structural instruments including the Fraboni Scale of Ageism (FSA) and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). A multiple linear regression method was employed to explore the influence of potential independent variables on professional attractiveness.

RESULTS

The overall response rate was 99%. The results showed the score of professional attractiveness (185.37 ± 20.034), as well as the scores of each component (99.26 ± 11.258 for work condition, 30.13 ± 3.583 for work content, and 55.99 ± 7.074 for job satisfaction). Findings of multiple linear regression analysis indicated that age(β = 0.129, p<.05), years of work(β = 0.156, p<.05), 12-hour shifts(β = 0.185, p<.05), and training times per year(β = 0.148, p<.05) positively associated with long-term care workers perceived professional attractiveness. Whereas only ageism(β=-0.267, p<.05) significantly and negatively influenced professional attractiveness.

CONCLUSIONS

The perceived professional attractiveness of long-term care workers in NHs was acceptable. Age, years of work, shifts, training opportunities, and ageism contributed to the professional attractiveness of nursing home care workers in China. Target intervention measures should be taken to enhance the attractiveness of long-term care careers so as to avoid the shortage of long-term care workers.

Ageist attitudes and psychological distress in older adults: The moderating role of reflective functioning

Ageist attitudes have been associated with various aspects of psychological functioning in older adults. According to Terror Management Theory, older adults may be seen as a reminder of human demise and death, and research has demonstrated links between ageist attitudes and compromised abilities to seek and maintain close personal relationships, which ward off awareness of one's mortality. Accordingly, the current work examined whether reflective functioning, or the ability to comprehend one's own and others' mental states, mitigates the negative psychological manifestations of ageist attitudes in older adults. Data was collected from 686 participants aged 60-94 (Mage = 72.64, SD = 6.28), who completed scales assessing ageist attitudes, reflective functioning, and psychological distress, as well as relevant socio-demographic information. Results indicated that ageist attitudes were linked with low levels of reflective functioning and enhanced psychological distress. Moreover, reflective functioning moderated the ageist attitudes-distress link, which was not significant in individuals reporting high levels of reflective functioning. This study provides insight into how the ability to comprehend others' mental states mitigates the adverse psychological effects of ageist attitudes and highlights the importance of examining relationship-enhancing personal factors within the context of negative ageing perceptions and psychological distress.

Identifying Specific Gaps in Knowledge of Aging and Examining Its Relation to Biases Toward Older Adults

Accurate aging knowledge is key to reducing ageist attitudes that impact older adult well-being. We first investigated how aging knowledge and negative and positive age-bias indirectly expressed via aging knowledge responses were related to an explicitly negative ageism measure. We then identified specific gaps in the aging knowledge of emerging adults and middle-aged adults. More negative ageism correlated with less aging knowledge overall and in psychological and social, but not biological, domains. Negative ageism correlated with negative age-bias, but not positive age-bias, expressed via aging knowledge responses. Knowledge of aging was poorest regarding social and psychological aspects of aging and best regarding biological aging. Middle-aged adults had slightly, but significantly, more accurate aging knowledge and less negative age-bias than emerging adults; positive age-bias did not differ by age-group. These results suggest that effectiveness of anti-ageism educational interventions may be enhanced if focused on improving knowledge of social and psychological aging.

A brief version of the Attitudes to Ageing Questionnaire for older Chinese adults: development and psychometric evaluation

BACKGROUND

Positive attitudes toward aging are considered essential for achieving psychological well-being in later life. However, there is currently a lack of a concise and comprehensive measurement tool specifically designed to assess attitudes toward aging among the elderly population in China. To address this gap, the present study aimed to develop a brief version of the Attitudes to Ageing Questionnaire tailored to older Chinese individuals and evaluate its psychometric properties.

METHODS

Initially, a sample of community-dwelling older adults (Sample 1: n = 442, aged 60-88) was utilized to establish a new scale format. Subsequently, two convenience samples (Sample 2: n = 311, aged 60-90; Sample 3: n = 164, aged 60-89) were employed to evaluate the psychometric properties of this scale, including factor structure, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity.

RESULTS

We selected 12 items from the original questionnaire to create the brief scale. The brief scale maintained the three-factor structure of the full-format version, encompassing psychosocial loss, physical change, and psychological growth, and demonstrated adequate psychometric properties.

CONCLUSIONS

This development process shortens the administration time of the questionnaire while avoiding excessive loss of information. The newly developed scale serves as a reliable and valid assessment tool for measuring attitudes toward aging among older Chinese individuals and is well-suited for implementation in large-scale surveys that utilize an extensive array of questionnaires. This tool can be applied to assessing the effectiveness of interventions aimed at eliminating ageism.

Clinical and counseling psychology doctoral trainees' attitudes toward and interest in working with older adult clients

The small percentage of psychologists specializing in geropsychology will be increasingly insufficient to meet projected mental health needs of the growing older adult population in the United States. The current study examined contact with older adults, empathy, and multicultural competence as predictors of counseling and clinical psychology doctoral trainees' attitudes toward and interest in working with older adults. A sample of 311 doctoral trainees in clinical (n = 234) and counseling (n = 78) psychology were surveyed online. A structural equation model testing hypothesized interrelationships between study variables showed good fit. Greater contact with older adults was significantly related to less ageist attitudes, greater interest in work with older adults, and more empathy. Less ageist attitudes were significantly related to greater interest in clinical work with older adults. Greater empathy was significantly related to less ageist attitudes and greater multicultural competence, but to less interest in working with older adults. Empathy mediated the relation of contact to attitudes. Increasing positive contact with older adults as part of doctoral training in counseling and clinical psychology may enhance trainees' empathy, attitudes toward older adults, and interest in work with older adults.

Reducing ageism: comparing the efficacy of videos, written information, and infographics as intervention mediums

Ageism (prejudice, discrimination, and stereotyping directed toward individuals based on age) is pervasive in the U.S. and around the world. Ageism is a significant social issue which negatively impacts general health and well-being. As such, ageism interventions that are scale-able and accessible to many people is paramount. Building on the PEACE (Positive Education about Aging and Contact Experiences) model, undergraduates (n = 497) were randomly assigned to one of three experimental conditions that provided education about aging (which included challenging age stereotypes) and extended positive intergenerational contact via 1) written information, 2) infographics, 3) videos, or 4) a control condition (no stimuli). Participants in all three of the experimental conditions (vs. control condition) reported lower levels of ageism, less negative age stereotypes, and more positive age stereotypes. There were no significant differences in aging anxiety. Out of the experimental conditions, watching videos was the most effective experimental condition. These findings highlight the promise of providing information about aging and depictions of positive intergenerational contact in a variety of different mediums as a way to reduce ageism. Brief online ageism reduction interventions based on the PEACE model are a promising tool for reducing ageism.

A spark of change: developing an innovative gerontological nursing intervention mapping initiative for training and education (IGNITE)

BACKGROUND

With an aging global population and advancements in medical technology, there is an urgent need for innovative gerontological nursing education programs. This study aimed to develop and evaluate the Innovative Gerontological Nursing Intervention Mapping Initiative for Training and Education (IGNITE) program. This program is a digital platform-based postgraduate nursing curriculum that employs the Intervention Mapping Approach (IMA) and Transformative Learning Theory to address the evolving needs of gerontological nursing.

METHODS

The IGNITE program's development process encompassed a comprehensive approach, including needs assessment, mapping of course objectives, integration of theory-based methods and strategies, course design, implementation, and rigorous evaluation. The pilot evaluation study involved pre- and post-tests focused on ageism, attitudes towards elder care, knowledge about older adults, transformative behavior change, and program satisfaction. The findings revealed significant improvements across all these dimensions, affirming the effectiveness of the program.

RESULTS

The program leveraged experiential learning, critical reflection, and rational discourse to facilitate transformative educational experiences. Notably, pre- and post-test comparisons showed marked improvements in attitudes towards older adult care and dementia care knowledge. Participants expressed high satisfaction with the program, with significant reported changes in transformative behaviors. The study also illuminated the initial negative attitudes of clinical nurses towards older adults and underscored the importance of transformative learning experiences in fostering empathy and understanding.

CONCLUSIONS

The IGNITE program lays a foundational framework for developing educational materials that promote transformative learning and self-reflection among healthcare professionals. This approach can lead to innovative nursing practices and personal growth. The application of the IMA and Transformative Learning Theory in gerontological nursing education shows significant promise. Future research should focus on exploring the long-term impacts of such programs and their applicability in diverse healthcare settings.

How do ageism, death anxiety and ageing anxiety among medical students and residents affect their attitude towards medical care for older patients: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Although the number of older patients requiring medical care is increasing, caring for older patients is often seen as unattractive by medical trainees (i.e., medical students, residents, interns, and fellows). Terror Management Theory states that people have a negative attitude towards older people, because they remind people of their own mortality. We hypothesize that ageism, death anxiety, and ageing anxiety among medical trainees negatively affect their attitude towards medical care for older patients. This review aimed to examine and generate an overview of available literature on the relationship between ageism, death anxiety, and ageing anxiety among medical trainees and their attitude towards medical care for older patients.

METHODS

A systematic review was performed with a review protocol based on the PRISMA Statement. PubMed, Ebsco/PsycInfo, Ebsco/ERIC and Embase were searched from inception to August 2022, using the following search terms, including their synonyms and closely related words: "medical trainees" AND "ageism" OR "death anxiety" OR "ageing anxiety" AND "(attitude AND older patient)".

RESULTS

The search yielded 4072 different studies; 12 eligible studies (10 quantitative and 2 qualitative) were identified and synthesized using narrative synthesis. Findings suggest that a positive attitude towards older people was related to a positive attitude towards medical care for older patients among medical students. The available literature on the relationship between death anxiety and/or ageing anxiety and attitude towards medical care for older patients among medical trainees was limited and had a heterogeneity in focus, which hindered comparison of results.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that a positive attitude towards older people in general is related to a positive attitude towards medical care for older patients among medical students. Future research should focus on further exploring underlying mechanisms affecting the attitude towards medical care for older patients among medical trainees.

The Chinese Adaptation and Validation of the Adolescents' Ageism Toward Older Adults Scale

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to translate and validate the adolescents' ageism toward older adults scale (AGES) in the Chinese cultural context and examine its psychometric properties among Chinese adolescents. Methods: The study consists of two phases with two separate samples. In phase one (sample 1: n = 407), exploratory factor analysis (EFA) is conducted to determine the factor structure of the C-AGES. In phase two (sample 2: n = 379), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) is performed to confirm the factor structure and assess the model fit of the C-AGES. Results: EFA reveals a two-factor structure consisting of 17 items for the C-AGES. CFA in sample 2 confirms the factor structure and demonstrates good model fit. The C-AGES also exhibits high criterion validity, internal consistency, and cross-gender invariance. Discussion: The results suggest that the C-AGES is a valid measurement tool for assessing agism among Chinese adolescents.

Correlation between attitude towards dental care for older adults and ageism in dental students and clinical trainees: Cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION

Since the needs for dental care among older adults in Japan are expected to increase in the future, this study aimed to examine the influence of ageism among dental students and clinical trainees on the attitude towards the older adults in dental care.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In 2022, we conducted a questionnaire survey of 9th-, 11th-semester dental students and first-year clinical trainees enrolled at Kyushu Dental University, using the Japanese version of Ageism Scale for Dental Students (ASDS-J), Japanese version of Fraboni Scale of Ageism (FSA-J). Questions on intention to provide dental care to the older adults, relationships with the older adults and living with the older adults were also surveyed.

RESULTS

There were 162 participants (84 males and 78 females), and the response rate was 71.7%. The participants were divided into the positive group for dental care to older adults (68 respondents) and the negative group (94 respondents). The ASDS-J score of the negative group was significantly higher than that of the positive group [49 (36-66) vs. 52 (34-88), p < .001]. The binomial logistic regression analysis revealed that the odds ratio of being negative attitude was 1.1 per one point of ASDS-J (95% confidence interval: 1.0-1.2) in the model adjusted for student grade, interaction with the older adults, gender, experience living with the older adults and FSA-J.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that ageism specific to dental students and clinical trainees (as assessed using the ASDS-J) was independently correlated with negative attitudes towards dental care for older adults.

Ageism in the Nursing Care of Older Adults: A Concept Analysis

Despite the high prevalence of ageism worldwide, it is still underestimated and unrecognized by many nurses. Concept clarification is required to delineate the meaning of the word "ageism" in nursing. The purpose of this concept analysis is to clearly define the concept of ageism relative to nursing discipline using the Walker and Avant method. Defining the concept of ageism will provide nurses with a better understanding of its causes and consequences. It will aid policy makers in developing policies and interventions to help decrease ageism in health care environments.

Examining Public Awareness of Ageist Terms on Twitter: Content Analysis

Background

The World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Gerontological Society of America have made efforts to raise awareness on ageist language and propose appropriate terms to denote the older adult population. The COVID-19 pandemic and older adults' vulnerability to the disease have perpetuated hostile ageist discourse on social media. This is an opportune time to understand the prevalence and use of ageist language and discuss the ways forward.

Objective

This study aimed to understand the prevalence and situated use of ageist terms on Twitter.

Methods

We collected 60.32 million tweets between March and July 2020 containing terms related to COVID-19. We then conducted a mixed methods study comprising a content analysis and a descriptive quantitative analysis.

Results

A total of 58,930 tweets contained the ageist terms "old people" or "elderly." The more appropriate term "older adult" was found in 11,328 tweets. Twitter users used ageist terms (eg, "old people" and "elderly") to criticize ageist messages (17/60, 28%), showing a lack of understanding of appropriate terms to describe older adults. Highly hostile ageist content against older adults came from tweets that contained the derogatory terms "old people" (22/30, 73%) or "elderly" (13/30, 43%).

Conclusions

The public discourse observed on Twitter shows a continued lack of understanding of appropriate terms to use when referring to older adults. Effort is needed to eliminate the perpetuation of ageist messages that challenge healthy aging. Our study highlights the need to inform the public about appropriate language use and ageism.

The effect of suicide severity and patient's age on mental health professionals' willingness to treat: The moderating effect of ageism

Understanding mental health professionals' (MHPs) willingness to treat suicidal older adults is critical in preventative psychotherapy. We examined the effect of a hypothetical patient's age and suicide severity on MHPs' willingness to treat or refer them to another therapist. Vignettes of hypothetical patients were presented to 368 MHPs aged 24-72 years. The vignettes had two age conditions (young/old) and three suicidality severity conditions. MHPs completed measures of their levels of willingness to treat/likeliness to refer and their levels of ageism. As suicide severity intensified, MHPs were less willing to treat and more likely to refer. Willingness to treat was the lowest for the old/suicide attempt condition. Ageism moderated the relationships between patient age and willingness to treat: MHPs with higher ageism were less willing to treat older than younger patients, regardless of suicidality severity. Findings indicate that MHPs with higher ageism levels are more reluctant to treat older suicidal patients and highlight the need for training MHPs to reduce ageism and enhance competence in suicide interventions.

Reminiscence and Digital Storytelling to Improve the Social and Emotional Well-Being of Older Adults With Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study Design and a Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Increasing attention is being given to the growing concerns about social isolation, loneliness, and compromised emotional well-being experienced by young adults and older individuals affected by Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRD). Studies suggest that reminiscence strategies combined with an intergenerational approach may yield significant social and mental health benefits for participants. Experts also recommended the production of a digital life story book as part of reminiscence. Reminiscence is typically implemented by trained professionals (eg, social workers and nurses); however, there has been growing interest in using trained volunteers owing to staffing shortages and the costs associated with reminiscence programs.

OBJECTIVE

The proposed study will develop and test how reminiscence offered by trained young adult volunteers using a digital storytelling platform may help older adults with ADRD to improve their social and emotional well-being.

METHODS

The proposed project will conduct a randomized controlled trial to assess the effects of the intervention. The older and young adult participants will be randomly assigned to the intervention (reminiscence based) or control groups and then be randomly matched within each group. Data will be collected at baseline before the intervention, in the middle of the intervention, at end of the intervention, and at 3 months after the intervention. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design will be used to take advantage of the strengths of both quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative data from surveys will be entered into SPSS and analyzed using covariate-adjusted linear mixed models for repeated measures to compare the intervention and control groups over time on the major outcomes of participants. Conventional content analysis of qualitative interviews will be conducted using data analysis software.

RESULTS

The project was modified to a telephone-based intervention owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Data collection started in 2020 and ended in 2022. In total, 103 dyads were matched at the beginning of the intervention. Of the 103 dyads, 90 (87.4%) dyads completed the midtest survey and 64 (62.1%) dyads completed the whole intervention and the posttest survey. Although we are still cleaning and finalizing data analyses, the preliminary results from both quantitative and qualitative data showed promising results of this intergenerational reminiscence approach that benefits both the older adults who have cognitive impairments and the young adult participants.

CONCLUSIONS

Intergenerational reminiscence provided by young adult college student offers promising benefits for both the younger and older generations. Future studies may consider scaling up this pilot into a trackable, replicable model that includes more participants with diverse background (eg, public vs private college students and older adults from other agencies) to test the effectiveness of this intervention for older adults with ADRD.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05984732; https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05984732.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/49752.

Attitudes toward Aging among College Students: Results from an Intergenerational Reminiscence Project

The detrimental effects of negative attitudes toward aging among younger adults extend to both older and young adults, highlighting the need for attention from academics, applied researchers, and practitioners. To improve college students' attitudes toward aging, an intergenerational reminiscence intervention was conducted. College students, who were randomized to intervention or control groups and matched with older adults, made weekly phone calls to community-dwelling older adults with cognitive impairment for ten weeks. This study investigated whether college students improved their attitudes toward aging after participating in this project. A total of 64 college student participants completed the whole intervention and all data collection. The Fraboni Scale of Ageism was used to measure attitudes toward aging and administered at three time points (pre-, mid-, and post-test). Parametric and nonparametric tests were examined to understand changes over time, and post-hoc analyses were conducted to understand timepoints in which changes occurred. The results showed that both the intervention and control groups evidenced a decrease in the majority of the ageism scale, including statistical improvements in three specific negative items, which were "Seniors are stingy and hoard money", "Seniors live in the past", and "I prefer not to spend time with seniors". Overall, the findings indicate that weekly engagement with older adults is promising in improving attitudes toward aging among college students. Implications for future research on intergenerational contacts to improve attitudes toward aging are discussed.

Intergenerational Reminiscence Approach in Improving Emotional Well-Being of Older Asian Americans in Early-Stage Dementia Using Virtual Reality: Protocol for an Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Study

BACKGROUND

After a dementia diagnosis, Asian Americans experience anxiety, feelings of shame, and other negative effects. Emotional well-being is not only an important aspect of mental health, but also a quality of resilience that helps people bounce back faster from difficulties. However, few studies have addressed issues in developing, implementing, and testing intervention strategies to promote emotional well-being among older adults. Intergenerational solidarity between grandparents and grandchildren has been emphasized in Asian families and is beneficial for the health of persons with dementia. Reminiscence and life review have been identified as potentially effective intervention strategies for helping depression and emotional well-being for older adults.

OBJECTIVE

This proposed study aims to develop and implement an intergenerational reminiscence approach and evaluate its potential feasibility and effectiveness in improving the emotional well-being of older Asian American adults who have a recent dementia diagnosis.

METHODS

An explanatory sequential mixed methods design will be used in which quantitative data will first be collected and analyzed to identify subsamples of participants who report the greatest and least change in emotional well-being; then, these subsamples will be interviewed to further understand why or why not this intervention works for them. Older adults will receive 6 sessions of life review with grandchildren in virtual reality (VR; 1-1.5 hours each week for 6 weeks), aided by pictures and virtually traveling to important places in their life using Google Earth to look around at those places and remember important times. Quantitative survey data will be collected pre- and postintervention and at a 3-month follow-up. Qualitative interviews with selected participants will also be integrated into the study design. The quantitative data from the surveys will be entered into SPSS (IBM Corp) and analyzed using descriptive analyses, Pearson chi-square tests, nonparametric Friedman tests, or nonparametric Wilcox signed-rank tests (2-tailed). The qualitative data will be transcribed by research assistants, coded by the investigators independently, and analyzed with guidance from content analysis software (Atlas.ti; Atlas.ti Scientific Software Development GmbH).

RESULTS

The project was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Data collection started in late 2021, and 26 participants were recruited as of December 2022. While we are still cleaning and analyzing the quantitative data, the qualitative interviews showed promising results of this intergenerational reminiscence approach in improving emotional well-being among older Asian American adults who have cognitive impairment.

CONCLUSIONS

Intergenerational reminiscence provided by grandchildren is promising in improving the emotional well-being of grandparents. VR technology is likely to be accepted by older adults. Future research may consider scaling up this pilot into a trackable, replicable model that includes more participants and develops a more rigorous study design with control groups to test the effectiveness of this intervention for older adults with dementia.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/48927.

Association of Ageism With Death Anxiety, Self-Esteem, Interpersonal Reactivity, and Symbolic Immortality Among Nurses

According toterror management theory (TMT), older adults may often be a reminder of death for younger adults. Therefore, dealing with older adults may be associated with increased levels of death anxiety and decreased levels of self-esteem, interpersonal reactivity, and symbolic immortality, leading younger adults to develop ageist attitudes and behaviors in defense. However, to date, these associations have not been empirically examined, especially among nurses. Self-report questionnaires were used on a sample of 163 nurses to explore the issue of ageism among nurses from the TMT perspective. The results indicated that, after controlling for sociodemographic variables, high levels of death anxiety and low levels of self-esteem, interpersonal reactivity, and symbolic immortality were associated with increased levels of ageism among nurses. Thus, the current study uses TMT to explain ageism among nurses, and the study findings may contribute to the development of psychological interventions aimed at reducing nurses' ageism.

An experimental investigation of a simulated online intergenerational friendship

Reducing ageism is a significant social issue. The current study involved a novel experimental examination of whether a one-time simulated online intergenerational friendship would reduce ageism. Undergraduate participants were randomly assigned to complete an interpersonal closeness exercise (the "fast friends" procedure, Aron et al., 1997; Lytle & Levy, 2015) with a confederate who used a script to answer the fast friends questions, during which they either did not reveal their age (control condition) or revealed being an older adult (age 65; experimental condition). Results indicate that experimental (vs. control) participants reported less ageism and more positive behavior (friendlier responses). These findings suggest that positive online intergenerational contact may help combat ageism. As intergenerational contact was limited before the COVID-19 pandemic and even more so during the pandemic, facilitating online intergenerational contact may be a particularly worthwhile ageism reduction strategy. Further implications of these findings and future directions are discussed.

Psychometric Properties of and Measurement Invariance in the Questionnaire of Stereotypes Toward Older Adulthood in Health Care College Students and Health Professionals of Colombia: Psychometric Study

BACKGROUND

In health professionals, negative stereotypes toward older adulthood have been associated with the difficulty in recognizing pathological processes and the refusal to care for older patients because of assuming that communication with them will be uncomfortable and frustrating. For these reasons, research on stereotypes in these groups has acquired growing importance. The usual strategy to identify and evaluate agist stereotypes is to use scales and questionnaires. Although multiple scales are currently used, in Latin America, the Questionnaire for the Evaluation of Negative Stereotypes Toward Older Adulthood (Cuestionario de Estereotipos Negativos sobre la Vejez [CENVE]), developed in Spain, is widely used but without evidence of construct validity in our context. In addition, although in the original version, a factorial structure of 3 factors was found, in later studies, a unifactorial structure was obtained.

OBJECTIVE

The objective is to study the construct validity of the CENVE in a sample of Colombian health personnel to clarify its factorial structure and concurrent validity. Likewise, the measurement invariance according to gender and age was studied.

METHODS

A nonprobabilistic sample of 877 Colombian health professionals and intern health students was obtained. The data were collected online using the LimeSurvey tool. To study the factor structure of the CENVE, 2 confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) models were carried out, one to test a single factor and the other to test the 3-related-factor structure. The factor measurement reliability was evaluated with the composite reliability index (CRI) and the average variance extracted (AVE). The measurement invariance was studied according to gender (men and women) and age (emerging adults, 18-29 years old, and adults, 30 years old or older). Using a structural equation model, the relationship between age and the latent CENVE total score was studied to obtain evidence of concurrent validity, since studies indicate that the younger the age, the greater the number of stereotypes.

RESULTS

The 1-factor structure was confirmed. The reliability results indicated that both indices show adequate values. Likewise, the existence of a strong invariance in measurement by gender and age group was verified. After contrasting the means of the groups, the results showed that men show more negative stereotypes toward old age than women. Likewise, emerging adults also showed more stereotypes than adults. We also verified that age is inversely related to the latent score of the questionnaire, such that the younger the age, the greater the stereotype. These results are in agreement with those obtained by other authors.

CONCLUSIONS

The CENVE shows good construct and concurrent validity, as well as good reliability, and it can be used to assess stereotypes toward older adulthood in Colombian health professionals and health sciences college students. This will allow us to better understand the effect of stereotypes on agism.

Mediating effects of ageism and knowledge on the relationship between contact with older adults and attitudes toward older adults' sexuality among nursing students

BACKGROUND

Healthcare professionals often ignore sexuality in aging and avoid discussing related topics, especially in China. Nursing students, as future professionals, can address the sexuality of older adults encountered in clinical practice by establishing positive attitudes toward aging sexuality. Previous studies have demonstrated that contact has positive impacts on nursing students' attitudes toward aging sexuality. However, little is known about the mechanism underlying this relationship between contact and attitudes.

OBJECTIVES

To explore the mediating effects of ageism and knowledge on the relationship between contact and nursing students' attitudes toward aging sexuality.

DESIGN

This was a cross-sectional study.

SETTINGS

The study was conducted at a nursing school in Hefei city, China.

PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS

614 nursing students completed online-administered questionnaires measuring the level of contact with older adults, ageism, knowledge, and attitudes toward aging sexuality. Data were analyzed using SPSS and AMOS.

RESULTS

The mean scores for knowledge and attitudes toward aging sexuality were 85.70 (SD = 16.39) and 104.91 (SD = 14.88), respectively. Overall, our findings confirmed that these hypotheses were accepted. Ageism (β = -0.079, P = 0.007) and knowledge (β = -0.070, P < 0.001) mediated the relationship between contact and attitude.

CONCLUSION

Given the mediating role of ageism and knowledge in the relationship between contact and attitude, reducing ageism and enhancing knowledge are vital to changing students' attitudes, including integrating ageism and aging sexuality knowledge learning into the nursing curriculum and creating opportunities for contact with older adults. The frequency and quality of contact between nursing students and older adults can be improved by rationalizing the internship duration, tasks, and assessment objectives of placements on geriatric wards and by the role of clinical faculty role models in cultivating positive attitudes toward aging sexuality.

[Développement d'une version française adaptée de l'Ambivalent Ageism Scale : une mesure de l'âgisme]

L'objectif de cette étude était d'introduire un processus de traduction et de validation de l'Ambivalent Ageism Scale en français. L'Ambivalent Ageism scale (AAS) est la première échelle de mesure qui prend en compte l'âgisme bienveillant. Notre étude a suivi trois grandes étapes : la traduction, l'enquête et la validation. L'enquête transversale a été réalisée auprès d'étudiants de master en Sciences de la santé publique de la Faculté de santé publique de l'UClouvain lors de l'année académique 2019-2020 : sur 544 inscrits, 111 étudiants ont participé. L'échantillon était majoritairement composé de professionnels de la santé, avec un âge moyen de 31,47 ans (écart type = 7,48 ans). En conclusion, la version française de l'AAS est composée de douze items et est subdivisée en trois nouveaux facteurs : la surprotection (six items), l'infantilisation (quatre items) et le contrôle (deux items) auprès des personnes âgées. La nouvelle mesure de l'âgisme paternaliste (MAP) est une échelle de mesure simple et courte qui identifie des stéréotypes et des attitudes paternalistes à l'égard des personnes âgées.

Ageism and Type D Personality: The Protective Role of Self-Esteem and Perceived Social Support

Background: This study examined the relationship between Type D personality and ageism in young adults, and evaluated the role of protective and risk factors. Methods: Two hundred and forty-seven community volunteers (M age = 31.8 years) reported online on age-related attitudes, Type D personality, and on measures of well-being. Results: A significant correlation was found between ageist attitudes and the tendency toward Type D personality. Both Type D personality and ageism correlated negatively with all the well-being measures. Perceived social support (PSS) partially down-mediated the association between Type D personality and ageism. A three-way interaction was found among individuals with Type D personality. Low PSS and low self-esteem were associated with an elevation of ageism compared to those with low PSS and high self-esteem. Discussion: The current research suggests that self-esteem and PSS are protective against ageism, and might be good targets for psychological interventions in order to mitigate ageism, particularly among individuals with Type D personality.

Factors associated with nursing students' attitudes toward older people: A scoping review

Nursing students rate geriatric nursing poorly in career preferences, but aging populations mean more older people require access to health care. Negative attitudes held by nursing students can lead to ageism affecting the quality of care provided. The purpose of this scoping review is to summarize research findings in the published literature relating to factors associated with nursing students' attitudes toward older people, and the tools used to measure these attitudes. The Joanna Briggs Institute guide for conducting a scoping review was used. Eleven databases and search engines were searched for international peer reviewed research articles published in English between January 2000 and February 2021. Sixteen articles were included in the review. This review highlights areas for affirmative action to improve undergraduate nursing students' attitudes toward older people to prepare them to work effectively in future health care systems. Positive attitudes were associated with: senior years of study; professional values (caring, professionalism, trust); education regarding care of older adults; knowledge about aging; contact with older family members; comfort communicating with older people; and willingness to work with older people following graduation. It also identified the need for a current, nursing-specific measure of attitudes toward older people.

The AgeSmart Inventory©: A Multifaceted Tool to Understand Age Bias

Ageism has been recognized as a global problem leading to poorer health, isolation, and workplace discrimination toward people based on their age. Consequently, there are several tools that measure levels and types of ageism with a focus on the quantification of degrees and types of ageism. While such quantification is valuable, this paper describes the development of an inventory, created over four stages, designed to foster introspective and collaborative thinking about age-directed values. In Stage 1, 34 items were identified through a comprehensive literature review. In Stage 2, the items were evaluated and revised via a focus group discussion. In Stage 3, the revised ASI was administered to a representative U.S. sample (N = 513). Based on factor and conceptual analysis, a revised version was tested on a second sample (N = 507) (Stage 4) and again revised. The final ASI consists of 35 age-related statements: 22 psychometrically linked to one of four domains, six related to identity, and seven that, although not aligned with statistical results, are conceptually important. Rather than provide an ageism score, the ASI is a tool for introspection and reflection about individual values and judgements about age which can lead to customized strategies to address potential age biases.

Can Physical, Psychological, and Social Vulnerabilities Predict Ageism?

Ageism can be expressed as the discrimination, social exclusion, and even abuse of older adults. The literature suggests that certain vulnerabilities could be risk factors affecting people's ageism. Based on the Social Identity Theory, the present study aimed to examine the association of physical/psychological and social vulnerabilities with ageism. The sample consisted of 200 Israelis from the general population who completed self-report questionnaires. Hierarchical regression indicated that low well-being, high post-traumatic distress, and limited social support were associated with ageism. Furthermore, the association of post-traumatic distress with ageism increased with age. The findings expand the knowledge of vulnerabilities as risk factors for ageism, perhaps reflecting its unconscious nature, and can assist in designing interventions for people interacting with older adults.

Too little, too late?: Can an integrated empathy-building intervention shift gero-attitudes for undergraduates in an online course?

By 2050, 22.1% of the United States population will be 65 years or older, increasing the demand for well-trained, enthusiastic professionals to serve them. At the same time, later life is frequently pathologized, and there continues to be a preference for youth by those who are yet to be old as well as older adults themselves. The growing divide between this expanding cohort and gero-focused professionals is exacerbated by the under-emphasis on gerontology in undergraduate higher education and the substantial shift toward online instruction and larger class sizes in the U.S. In this quasi-experimental study, researchers examined whether a gerontology-focused empathy-building intervention (EBI) in 2 semesters of an online undergraduate course on aging changed students' attitudes toward older adults, aging anxiety, and interest in gero-focused careers, compared with 2 control semesters taught without the EBI. Statistical results showed that neither the EBI nor course completion without the EBI significantly shifted students' gero-attitudes and interest, suggesting the necessity of earlier and varied interventions to combat negative stereotypes about aging. Qualitative results provided some indication of the possible impact of the EBI. We describe study design, implementation, challenges, and areas for future intervention and study.

How Are Sociodemographic, Health, Psychological, and Cognitive Factors Associated with Dementia Worry? An Online Survey Study among Israeli and Australian Laypeople

BACKGROUND

Dementia worry is a widespread phenomenon and the most common emotional reaction elicited by the threat of developing dementia in the future. The cultural factors of dementia worry have not been examined widely, although dementia can be perceived differently between cultures and lead to varying levels of dementia worry. The purpose of this study was to examine the level of dementia worry and factors associated with it cross-nationally in Israel and Australia.

METHODS

A cross-sectional, online survey was conducted with two age-matched adult samples (447 participants in Israel and 290 in Australia). The primary outcome measure was the 12-item Dementia Worry Scale.

RESULTS

Israeli participants (mean age = 42.5 years; 50.1% female) reported statistically significantly (p < 0.05) higher levels of concern about developing dementia in comparison to Australian participants (mean age = 43.7 years; 49.8% female). Increased ageism and increased perceptions about the likelihood of developing dementia were the most important factors associated with increased worry.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that country may not be the best criterion to assess cultural differences and should be accompanied by the participants' assessment of their cultural tendencies. Our study also stresses the importance of conceptualizing and assessing affective and cognitive aspects of dementia worry, as people from different cultures might perceive dementia worry cognitively differently but affectively similar and vice-versa.

Establishment of the Japanese version of the dementia stigma assessment scale

Aim

Reducing stigma against dementia is a global challenge, but the assessment scale is not well established. We examined the validity and reliability of the Japanese version of the assessment scale of public stigma against dementia.

Methods

This study recruited 819 adults aged 20–69 years (mean age = 45.9 years; 52.0% females) through an internet survey, and 34 community‐dwelling adults aged 20–78 years (mean age = 45.8 years; 55.9% females). Participants completed the Japanese version of the assessment scale of dementia stigma developed by Phillipson et al., with forward and back translations. In the internet survey sample, exploratory factor analysis was performed to verify factorial validity, and correlations with ageism and dementia attitudes were examined to test the concurrent validity. In the community sample, test–retest reliability was evaluated using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) between two responses with a two‐week interval.

Results

Factor analysis revealed a four‐factor structure: “personal avoidance,” “fear of labeling,” “person centeredness,” and “fear of discrimination” (Cronbach's α = 0.892, 0.840, 0.879, 0.829, respectively). Personal avoidance, fear of labeling, and fear of discrimination were positively correlated with ageism (r = 0.598, 0.214, 0.369) and negatively correlated with dementia attitudes (r = −0.745, −0.453, −0.475); person centeredness was inversely correlated with ageism (r = −0.322), but positively correlated with dementia attitudes (r = 0.537), showing good concurrent validity. The scale showed acceptable test–retest reliability (ICCs = 0.67–0.80).

Conclusions

The Japanese version of the assessment scale of public stigma against dementia was established with good concurrent validity and adequate reliability. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2022; 22: 790–796.

An experimental study of mindfulness and acceptance-based skills for internalized ageism in older adults and college students

OBJECTIVES

Older adults (OA; 65+) can become cognitively fused with negative attitudes and stereotypes. Given the verbal nature of ageist stereotypes, mindfulness and acceptance-based practices (MABPs) may help the impact of negative aging attitudes by increasing non-judgmental awareness, cognitive defusion, and acceptance. As part of a larger study, this project examined whether an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) consistent MABP would reduce negative aging attitudes using an experimental design. We hypothesized that assignment to the MABP condition would be associated with lower negative aging attitudes for both OAs and university undergraduates (18-25).

METHOD

Both OAs (N = 60) and undergraduate student (N = 60) participants were assigned to the experimental or comparison condition (MABP vs. sit-and-think task) and were then presented negative ageist stereotypes assessed with two ageism measures.

RESULTS

Following the MABP, undergraduates who received a MABP had significantly lower ageism scores than did undergraduates who did not, while OAs endorsed higher scores on ageism after receiving the MABP (vs comparison group; ps < .05). There was no significant condition by age sample interaction effect.

CONCLUSION

Results suggest that undergraduates and OAs may have different strategies for recontextualizing ageist attitudes, with OAs possibly employing different strategies when confronted with ageism in an experimental context. Overall, aging education, OA experimental research, and evidence-based interventions for negative beliefs about aging are needed. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

Nurses' Death Anxiety and Ageism towards Older Adults Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Moderating Role of Symbolic Immortality

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected all aspects of individuals’ lives and behaviors, including the behaviors of nurses. Specifically, the pandemic has impacted the way that nurses treat older adults and has led to the spread of ageism among nurses. This study was conducted using self-report tools on 163 nurses to examine the problem of ageism amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The results suggest that critical care nurses have higher levels of death anxiety and ageism in comparison to medical/surgical nurses. After controlling for the work department, low levels of symbolic immortality were associated with high levels of ageism and death anxiety among nurses. These results might provide an insight into the development of a psychological intervention to reduce nurses’ death anxiety and ageism toward older adults.

Death Anxiety and Willingness to Work in Geriatric Care: The Role of Contact With Older Adults

The current study sought to examine the moderating role of contact with older adults in the relationship between medical and nursing students' death anxiety and their willingness to work in geriatric care. A total of 385 Chinese freshman and sophomore medical and nursing students were included in this cross-sectional study. Logistic regression results showed that death anxiety was negatively related to students' willingness to work in geriatric care. The negative association between death anxiety and willingness was moderated by contact with general older adults (i.e., students who had frequent contact with general older adults were more willing to work in geriatric care even with a high level of death anxiety). However, contact with grandparents did not have a significant moderation effect. Interventions to reduce the negative impact of death anxiety on students' willingness to work with older adults should consider increasing medical and nursing students' quality and frequency of contact with older adults. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 48(6), 49-56.].

The Development and Validation of the Threat of Dementia Scale

Dementia represents a substantial threat to the self. However, to date, there is no reliable way to measure how threatened people feel by dementia. This article reports on two online studies. In Study 1, 248 participants rated statements about dementia according to their threat to well-being. In Study 2, 99 participants (all students at the University of the West of England) completed the emerging scale (the Threat of Dementia Scale or ToDS). We validated this by examining its associations with conceptually related measures, including the revised Fraboni Scale of Ageism and the Fear of Alzheimer's Disease Scale. Study 1 yielded 13 statements that were highly intercorrelated and comprised a single factor. In Study 2, the ToDS demonstrated good construct validity and acceptable test-retest reliability. Higher levels of distancing predicted lower scores on the ToDS. The ToDS is a reliable and valid instrument that is the first statistically validated method of examining the extent to which dementia threatens well-being.

Health Bias in Clinical Work with Older Adult Clients: The Relation with Ageism and Aging Anxiety

OBJECTIVES

This experimental study examined health bias in mental health trainees' ratings of work with an older adult client and whether differences based on health were moderated by aging anxiety and ageist attitudes.

METHODS

Graduate-level mental health trainees (N = 488) were randomly assigned to read a vignette of an older adult client in good health or poor health, after which they rated aspects of clinical work with this client and completed measures of aging anxiety and ageist attitudes.

RESULTS

Trainees rated clinical work with the unhealthy older adult client more negatively than with the healthy older adult client. Health-based differences were larger at average and higher levels of ageist attitudes when considering the appropriateness of the client for therapy and at average and higher levels of aging anxiety for perceived competence to treat and comfort in treating the presenting complaint.

CONCLUSIONS

Trainees' health bias toward older adults may be magnified by higher aging anxiety and ageist attitudes. Training programs' intervention on these variables may improve geropsychological competencies of future mental health professionals.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Quality of mental health care for older adult clients may be compromised when biases about older adults, particularly those in poor health, are not addressed.

The subjective life course framework: Integrating life course sociology with gerontological perspectives on subjective aging

The expansion of life expectancy has precipitated a cultural transformation of the life course - altering the perceived temporal contours of middle and later life. However, our understanding of these perceptions is limited by the absence of a framework within which to examine them. This paper builds on the life course perspective - which emphasizes the objective patterning of lives - by focusing on the subjective side of the life course. Drawing on theoretically, methodologically, and substantively diverse studies, this paper develops the concept of the subjective life course - a term we use to denote individuals' perceptions of the life course, including its structure and timing and their advancing location in it. We outline two dimensions of the subjective life course - the target of the perception (i.e., generalized other versus self) and the temporal frame of reference (i.e., past, present, or future). Using the resulting framework as an organizational tool, we then discuss key constructs located at each intersection along these dimensions, providing examples, where possible, of empirical studies examining them. We close with a discussion of two broad directions for research: leveraging the framework to yield insight on the subjective life course and exploring links between objective and subjective dimensions of the life course.

Emerging Adult Caregivers: Quality of Contact, Ageism, and Future Caregiving

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

More emerging adults (18-25 years) are performing caregiving tasks for older adults, yet minimal research has examined how the quality of this experience may inform their willingness to provide care again in the future. Based on an intergroup contact theory framework, this study examined whether quality of contact moderated the relationship between ageist attitudes and willingness to be a caregiver at age 50.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A sample of 248 emerging adults (mean age = 23.29) providing informal care to an older adult (aged 65+) completed survey measures online. Regression analysis with interaction terms was utilized to test study hypotheses.

RESULTS

Quality of contact moderated the relationship between ageism and willingness to provide instrumental and nursing care in the future. As quality of contact decreased, overt ageist attitudes became more strongly related to less willingness to provide care, and ambivalent ageist attitudes became more strongly related to greater willingness to provide care.

DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS

Caregiving during emerging adulthood may weaken the relationship between overt ageist attitudes on future caregiving intentions, especially when quality of contact is high, which is consistent with intergroup contact theory. Emerging adult caregivers may have a greater willingness to provide care in the future if supports focused on increasing quality of contact and emphasizing the strengths of the older adult population.

Measuring Discrimination against Older People Applying the Fraboni Scale of Ageism

The progressive aging of developed societies, caused by profound demographic changes, brings with it the necessity of confronting the subject of discrimination against older people. In the last 50 years, many scales of ageism have been developed to measure beliefs and attitudes towards older adults. The purpose of our study was to adapt the full Fraboni Scale of Ageism (FSA) to Hungarian language and assess its reliability, validity, and psychometric properties. The sample of the study was representative of the Hungarian population, and the data collection took place online. In our study, we compare the dimensions of the scale with other international studies and present the attitudes and biases of the Hungarian population against the older people. The results of the study indicate that attitudes toward older people are more positive among women, older people, and people living in villages. In this study, we concluded that the Hungarian version of the Fraboni Scale of Ageism is a suitable instrument for both measuring the extent of ageism in the Hungarian population and contributing to further testing the international reliability, validity, and psychometric properties of the Fraboni Scale of Ageism.

Views on aging among undergraduates, faculty, and staff: Domain-specific measurement invariance and comparisons

Views on aging have been shown to reliably predict various psychological and physical health outcomes. To our knowledge, this is the first study exploring domain-specific views on aging using a university sample including students, faculty, and staff (N = 646). Specifically, we assessed how one's age stereotypes (AS), current self-views on aging (CS), and future self-views on aging (FS) vary among students, faculty, and staff by age and by eight everyday functioning domains using an existing domain-specific scale. In general, the older one becomes, the more positive one's views on aging are in various domains with a few exceptions. No single group (e.g., students, faculty, or staff) consistently had more positive views across domains than the other groups. Moreover, faculty and staff tended to share similar views on aging compared to students. The most salient difference between students and faculty/staff was in the finance domain; students had more positive age stereotypes and future self-views than faculty and staff but not for current self-views. The results highlight the importance of examining the domain-specific age stereotypes, current and future self-views on aging to understand the differences among university populations and provide implications for future educational programs on ageism.

Associations Between Openness Facets, Prejudice, and Tolerance: A Scoping Review With Meta-Analysis

The personality factor of openness to experience, which encompasses curiosity, imagination, and a desire for new experiences, has been associated negatively with prejudice and positively with the closely related value of tolerance. While these relationships have been reviewed at the factor level, there has been no review of research at the lower facet level. This review aims to uncover the relationships between the facets of openness and the constructs of prejudice and tolerance. We conducted a preregistered scoping review with meta-analysis following the recommended guidelines from Joanna Briggs Institute. A total of 2,349 articles were reviewed, with 16 primary research articles (or 17 studies) meeting the criteria for inclusion. Aggregated effect sizes via random-effect meta-analysis revealed that all revised neuroticism-extraversion-openness personality inventory (NEO-PI-R) and international personality item pool (IPIP)-based facets of openness significantly predicted prejudice and tolerance. Out of the three measures [i.e., NEO-PI-R, IPIP-NEO, and honesty-humility, emotionality, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience personality inventory (HEXACO-PI), and the facets of openness examined], the NEO-PI-R facet of value was most strongly associated with prejudice. In contrast, the NEO-PI-R facet of aesthetics was the facet most strongly associated with tolerance. However, these results should be treated as preliminary in light of the small number of meta-analyzed studies and more primary research studies are needed to confirm the trends found in this review. This review represents the first step in the systematic investigation of the link between the facets of openness and components of prejudice and tolerance and contributes toward explaining prejudice and tolerance.

The Spanish Intergenerational Study: Beliefs, Stereotypes, and Metacognition about Older People and Grandparents to Tackle Ageism

Ageism can be seen as systematic stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination of people because of their age. For a long time, society has accepted negative stereotypes as a norm. When referring to older adults, the United Nations Global Report on Ageism warns about a severe impact. The Intergenerational Study for a Healthy Aging, a questionnaire about believes, stereotypes, and knowledge about older people and grandparents, was administered to 326 Spanish biology and medical students. Here we report the results of stereotype analysis through adjective qualification of the youth and older people performed before the survey. Content analysis of two open questions about metacognition at the end of the survey is also presented. The results show that: (1) The questionnaire promoted metacognition; (2) Positive metacognition toward grandparents was higher than for the general old population; (3) Most participants were not conscious about ageism; (4) Gender was a key factor—male students were more ageist than females; (5) The feeling of guilt was higher in the questionnaire about older people; (6) The metacognition exercise elicited thoughts and, in few cases, the need to take action to tackle ageism. In conclusion, both activities promoted active thoughts about older people vs. grandparents and helped participants realize unconscious ageism—specifically toward the older population—serving as an awareness activity that may help tackle ageism.

A Cross-National Study of Dementia Stigma Among the General Public in Israel and Australia

BACKGROUND

Despite the increasing amount of research on dementia stigma, there is a dearth of cross-national studies conducted on this subject. This is surprising since the experience of stigma is closely associated to socio-cultural aspects.

OBJECTIVE

The present study intended to expand knowledge about the impact of culture on dementia stigma by comparing the level and correlates of stigmatic beliefs about dementia among the general public in Israel and Australia.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study using an online survey was conducted with two age-matched samples: 447 adults in Israel and 290 adults in Australia.

RESULTS

Overall, dementia stigma was moderate in both countries. However, the level of dementia stigma was significantly higher in Australia than in Israel. Lower levels of subjective knowledge and higher levels of ageism were associated with increased levels of stigmatic beliefs in both countries. Gender was a significant correlate of dementia stigma, with male participants reporting higher levels of public stigma than women, although this gender difference was mainly driven by the Australian sample.

CONCLUSION

Our findings indicate that providing knowledge and decreasing ageist attitudes should be key considerations in dementia awareness and stigma reduction campaigns despite the cultural context. In addition, developing gender-specific messages should be considered as a way of improving the effects of such campaigns.

Addressing stereotypes of aging and interest in careers working with older adults through education

Negative stereotypes about older adults are increasing and contributing to a shortage of professionals in gerontology. Building on the PEACE model (Positive Education about Aging and Contact Experiences), two experiments used education to address stereotypes associated with older adults. Participants were randomly assigned to read brief articles that: challenged stereotypes about older adults (condition 1), challenged stereotypes about careers working with older adults (condition 2), challenged both stereotypes (condition 3), or described careers in general (control; condition 4). In Study 1, 399 undergraduates in all 3 experimental conditions (vs. control participants) reported lower levels of ageism, more positive age perceptions, and more aging knowledge in an immediate and delayed (1-2 weeks) post-test. In Study 2, 446 national community participants (ages 18- 25) in all experimental conditions (vs. control participants) reported greater positive age perceptions, aging knowledge, and interest in psychology and social work careers with older adults in an immediate post-test. These findings highlight the promise of using brief online methods to challenge stereotypes, provide more positive and accurate views of aging and older adults, and increase interest in careers working with older adults. Implications are discussed.

Further examination of knowledge and interactions in ageism among college students: Value for promoting university activities

Ageism is recognized as a reason that few students pursue careers in aging. While widely studied, the findings regarding factors that contribute to ageism are mixed. The findings from previous studies are also tempered by methodological issues. To better understand the factors that contribute to ageism among students and guide the development of programming and activities to reduce ageism, a survey study was conducted. The study explores associations between frequency of interactions with older adults, quality of the interactions, and ageism. Students' knowledge of aging is also examined. Using refined measures to assess knowledge of aging and interactions with older adults, the study includes data from 1,040 college students, most of whom are traditional age students (i.e., under the age of 25). Findings from multiple regression analyses document the interplay between frequency and quality of interactions and the role of knowledge on multiple dimensions of ageism. Frequency of interactions with older adults is significantly associated with lower levels of ageism only when the interactions are perceived as favorable. Knowledge of aging is significantly associated with lower levels of ageism. The findings provide valuable information for developing activities to reduce ageism. A new ageism reduction program, which was guided by the study findings and age-friendly university framework, is described. Implications for gerontological education are also discussed.

Assessing knowledge and ageist attitudes and behaviors toward older adults among undergraduate nursing students

Caring for older adults is viewed as a low prestigious profession and a less attractive career option for nursing students. Knowledge deficit is a major perceived barrier to reliving ageist attitudes and behaviors among nursing students. In the Middle East, there is limited evidence regarding ageism among nursing students. This study aimed to examine the association of nursing students' demographics and knowledge of aging with ageist attitudes and behaviors. A cross-sectional design was used to recruit a convenience sample of 290 undergraduate nursing students in Jordan. The majority of nursing students reported poor knowledge, held ageist attitudes, and expressed ageist behaviors. A significant difference was found between senior and junior nursing students in the level of knowledge about aging. Also, significant correlations were found among students' knowledge about aging and ageist attitudes and behaviors. Targeting knowledge deficit and ageist attitudes and behaviors among nursing students is crucial for optimal geriatric care.