An inconvenienced youth? Ageism and its potential intergenerational roots

First impressions: Do faces with scars and palsies influence warmth, competence and humanization?

A glance is enough to assign psychological attributes to others. Attractiveness is associated with positive attributes ('beauty-is-good' stereotype). Here, we raise the question of a similar but negative bias. Are people with facial anomalies associated with negative personal characteristics? We hypothesized that biases against faces with anomalies arise because of negative stereotypes (less warmth and competence) and forms of dehumanization (animalistic and mechanistic). We enrolled 1493 mTurk participants (N = 1306 after exclusion) to assess 31 traits of photographed people using 60 pairs of photographs of the same person before and after plastic surgery. Half anomalous faces had a scar and the other half had a palsy. To calculate warmth and competence, we conducted a principal components analysis of the 31 attributes. Animalistic dehumanization was assessed by averaging reverse-scored ratings corresponding to moral sensibility and rationality/logic, and mechanistic dehumanization by averaging across reverse-scored ratings corresponding to emotional responsiveness and interpersonal warmth. We found that both kinds of anomalous faces were seen as less warm, competent and were dehumanized. Our findings suggest that an 'anomalous-is-bad' stereotype generalizes regardless of the aetiology of the anomaly. This effect may be related to a reverse halo effect, that is, the horn effect.

Americans harbor much less favorable explicit sentiments toward young adults than toward older adults

Public and academic discourse on ageism focuses primarily on prejudices targeting older adults, implicitly assuming that this age group experiences the most age bias. We test this assumption in a large, preregistered study surveying Americans' explicit sentiments toward young, middle-aged, and older adults. Contrary to certain expectations about the scope and nature of ageism, responses from two crowdsourced online samples matched to the US adult population (N = 1,820) revealed that older adults garner the most favorable sentiments and young adults, the least favorable ones. This pattern held across a wide range of participant demographics and outcome variables, in both samples. Signaling derogation of young adults more than benign liking of older adults, participants high on SDO (i.e., a key antecedent of group prejudice) expressed even less favorable sentiments toward young adults-and more favorable ones toward older adults. In two follow-up, preregistered, forecasting surveys, lay participants (N = 500) were generally quite accurate at predicting these results; in contrast, social scientists (N = 241) underestimated how unfavorably respondents viewed young adults and how favorably they viewed older adults. In fact, the more expertise in ageism scientists had, the more biased their forecasts. In a rapidly aging world with exacerbated concerns over older adults' welfare, young adults also face increasing economic, social, political, and ecological hardship. Our findings highlight the need for policymakers and social scientists to broaden their understanding of age biases and develop theory and policies that ponder discriminations targeting all age groups.

'Who tells me when to stay active or to leave?' age differences in and predictors of endorsement of prescriptive views of aging

OBJECTIVES

Prescriptive views of aging (PVoA) are normative age-based expectations about age-appropriate behavior for older adults, e.g. that they should stay fit/active (active aging norms) but also behave altruistically toward younger generations (altruistic disengagement norms). We aimed at examining age differences in endorsement of active aging and altruistic disengagement and investigated predictors of endorsement.

METHOD

In the AGEISM Germany survey, a representative sample of N = 1,915 German participants was recruited, covering a wide age range (Mage=56.57 years, 16-96 years). Cross-sectional data was collected via computer-assisted telephone interviews.

RESULTS

Active aging was more strongly endorsed than altruistic disengagement. Endorsement of both PVoA was higher in older age groups - even more pronounced for altruistic disengagement. Endorsement of both norms was positively associated with positive age stereotypes. Furthermore, active aging was predicted by age centrality whereas altruistic disengagement was predicted by negative age stereotypes. Age was still a robust predictor of PVoA even after entering additional predictors.

CONCLUSION

Although associated, prescriptive age norms (i.e. beliefs how older people should behave) and descriptive age norms (i.e. beliefs about how older adults and the aging process are like) represent partly independent belief systems, highlighting the importance to assess & further investigate predictors and consequences of PVoA, which become more prevalent with age.

Older adults, perceived ageism, civic participation and mental health: a qualitative study

OBJECTIVES

This study has three objectives: A) To investigate the relationship of ageism on older adults' civic activities; B) To analyze the influence of ageism on mental health; and C) To explore the impact of civic participation on older adults' mental health.

METHOD

This qualitative study included 782 older people from three different nationalities (Portuguese, Brazilian, and English) ranging in age from 65 to 88. All the interviews went through the process of content analysis.

RESULTS

For the first objective, the findings encompass one high-level theme (Social and individual incompetence), which included social rejection (86%), reduced competence (84%), expectations of failure (83%), and not being able to contribute (77%). For the second objective, findings indicated two overarching categories: Perceived inability, including frustration and impotence (89%), incompetence (77%) and irrelevance (71%); and Perceived distress, including anger (81%), feelings of anxiety (68%); and emotional bursts (63%). For the third objective, the following two high-level themes emerged: Ego-oriented resources, which comprised the development of a sense of purpose (81%), learning cognitive skills (71%), and (A3) practising sense of agency (67%); and Social-oriented resources, encompassing feeling socially integrated (80%); and expressing emotionally (54%). Findings indicated that the most verbalized themes for the three objectives were the same across the three nationalities.

CONCLUSIONS

Ageism made it difficult for people to participate in civic life, which has been linked to better mental health. These findings emphasize the need to encourage inclusive civic involvement to improve older individuals' mental health.

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.

Assessing age discrimination in workplaces: psychometric exploration of the Workplace Age Discrimination Scale (WADS-G)

In contemporary workplaces characterized by diverse age groups working collaboratively, the assessment of age discrimination as an interpersonal phenomenon has gained heightened significance. This study focuses on adapting and scrutinizing the psychometric properties of the German iteration of the Workplace Age Discrimination Scale (WADS-G). Comprehensive Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) results affirm a robust fit for the unidimensional model. Convergent validity is established through correlations between WADS-G scores and related instruments, while discriminant validity is evidenced by its lack of association with extraversion. Noteworthy findings include a positive correlation with turnover intention and negative correlations with job satisfaction, occupational self-efficacy, and organizational affective commitment. Despite its merits, the predictive efficacy of the WADS-G is notably inferior when juxtaposed with the Workplace Incivility Scale. Its explanatory power for turnover intention is constrained when accounting for variables such as job satisfaction, work environment, neuroticism, and core self-evaluation. Although measurement invariance testing across gender groups reveals scalar to strict measurement invariance, the examination across age groups indicates metric invariance. However, Confirmatory Factor Analyses for the 18-30 and 50+ age groups, central to the research emphasis, reveal suboptimal model fit. These outcomes prompt a nuanced discussion on whether the WADS-G aptly captures age-discriminatory experiences across diverse age and gender cohorts among employees.

Perceived Ageism is Associated With Recurrent Falling Among Older Colombian Adults

Literature on the association between ageism and falling among older adults is limited. Using data from the nationwide cross-sectional SABE (Salud, Bienestar y Envejecimiento) Colombia Survey in 2015 with 18,875 participants aged ≥60 years living in the communities, the study aims to evaluate the association between perceived ageism within the family, neighborhood, health services, and public services, and recurrent falling. Participants had a mean age of 69.2 ± 7.1; 56.1% were female. Recurrent falling prevalence was 15%, and experiencing any ageism was 10%. Multivariable logistic regression analyses showed higher odds of recurrent falling for any ageism (OR = 1.81, 95% CI 1.61-2.02, p < .0001). High depressive symptoms mediated 10.1% of the association between any ageism and recurrent falling, followed by low instrumental activities of daily living (9.7%) and multimorbidity (9.3%). Current findings open new areas of gerontological research by expanding the risk factors for falling among older adults to include ageism perceptions.

Age stereotypes: Dimensions, origins, and consequences

We give an overview of what age stereotypes (AS) are, how they are acquired and change across the lifespan, and how they shape development in old age. AS reflect complex beliefs and expectations that vary on the following dimensions: They differ in content and valence, depending on the life-domain to which they are applied (context), they refer to different age-groups (reference), to older people or to oneself as an old person (direction of relevance), and they either describe how older people are or prescribe how they should be (modality). AS are acquired early, and later taint beliefs about one's own aging (internalization). Once they are part of the self-concept, AS act as self-fulfilling prophecies that shape the actual aging process (stereotype embodiment).

How different types of environmentalists are perceived: changing perceptions by the feature

Introduction

Previous research found stereotypes of environmentalists as barriers to public engagement and identification with environmentalism. Yet, there is limited understanding of the distinct attributes of an environmentalist that influence public perceptions and self-identification. In our research, we address this knowledge gap by analyzing reactions to a range of fictional environmentalist profiles.

Methods

We investigated how multiple features of these profiles (e.g., gender, occupation, type of pro-environmentalism) influenced stereotypes (such as competence, friendliness, and trustworthiness), perceived typicality, and participants' self-identification with the described profiles, using a novel conjoint experiment approach with 678 US residents.

Results

We found that profiles described as women, Asians, working as a cleaner or office clerk, and politically moderate or liberal, exhibiting private to moderate environmental behaviors and global environmental concerns, were generally perceived as more typical for environmentalists. Moreover, participants most identified with profiles depicted as women, in a cleaner occupation, and exhibiting private pro-environmental behaviors. Atypical profile descriptions, based on prior research, enhanced participants' impressions only when associated with private pro-environmental behaviors or the cleaner occupation.

Discussion

We introduce new avenues in impression formation research and the use of conjoint analyses in psychological research; moreover, we contribute valuable input to the environmental movement regarding message framing considering the source and content relative to the targeted audience.

Are generations a useful concept?

The concepts of generations and generational differences have received much attention in the academic literature, in the popular press, and among practitioners, policymakers, and politicians. Despite the continued interest, research has failed to find convincing evidence for the existence of distinct generations, commonly conceptualized as broad groupings of birth cohorts (e.g., 1980-2000) that have been influenced by a set of significant events (e.g., economic depressions) and labeled with names and qualities that supposedly reflect their defining characteristics (e.g., Millennials). Further, any differences that have been found in empirical studies, and that have been attributed to generational membership, are more likely due to age and/or contemporaneous period effects. Nonetheless, some researchers, employers, institutions, governments, and many laypeople continue to treat generations like they are a powerful and actionable phenomenon. We address these issues in two ways. First, we review the science of generations, focusing on what is known, what is not, and why the evidence points to the conclusion that generations, as popularly conceptualized, do not exist in objectively quantifiable ways. We also address the disconnect between science and practice regarding generations. Second, we explore alternate explanations for effects that are attributed to generations and review approaches that are both more theoretically sound and empirically supported, including lifespan theory and social constructionist frameworks. Finally, we address connections between assumptions made about generations and concerns about diversity, equity, and inclusion at work. Specifically, we address what has been termed generationalism, the belief that members of specific generations possess unique, stereotypic characteristics.

Contact with grandparents and young people's explicit and implicit attitudes toward older adults

BACKGROUND

Given the dramatic rise in population aging and widespread negative attitudes toward older people, it is necessary to understand the factors that affect age-related attitudes among young people in order to improve intergenerational solidarity and reduce ageism. The current study examined young people's contact with their grandparents and attitudes toward older people on both explicit and implicit levels.

METHOD

The sample included 146 Chinese college students (Mage = 21.50 yrs, SD = 2.23, 101 females). Participants completed a questionnaire concerning contact with their grandparents(contact quantity and contact quality), perceived typicality of their grandparents, intergroup anxiety, inclusion of other in the self, and explicit attitudes toward older people (aged 65 years or older) in general. Participants were also invited to complete a single-category implicit association test (SC-IAT) to assess their implicit attitudes toward older people.

RESULTS

The findings indicated that both quantity and quality of contact with grandparents predicted better explicit attitudes toward older people, and contact effects were stronger when one's grandparents were perceived as being typical of older adults. Contact quantity (not quality) was associated with more favorable implicit attitudes only when one's grandparents were perceived as highly typical older adults. Contact effects on explicit attitudes were mediated by intergroup anxiety and inclusion of other in the self.

CONCLUSION

Our findings on the positive effects of contact with grandparents underscore the importance of promoting intergenerational contact within the family as a starting point to reduce prejudice toward older adults in age-segregated modern societies. Current results also provide insights on how to extend the benefits of grandparent-grandchild contact outside the family by promoting the perceived typicality of one's grandparents.

Character Strengths and Resilience in Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic

During the pandemic, older adults were perceived as a vulnerable group without considering their various strengths. This study explored the associations between character strengths and resilience, and verified if some of these could predict resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. A sample of 92 participants (women = 79.1%), ≥ 70 years of age (mean = 75.6 years), completed an online version of the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths - Positively keyed (VIA-IS-P) to assess 24 character strengths (grouped under six virtues) and the Connor and Davidson Resilience Scale. Results showed that 20 of the 24 strengths correlated positively and significantly with resilience. A multiple regression analysis revealed that the virtues of courage and transcendence, as well as attitudes toward aging, uniquely predicted the level of resilience. Interventions should be developed to improve certain strengths (e.g., creativity, zest, hope, humor, and curiosity), while reducing ageism, in order to promote resilience.

Portrayals of older adults in over 3000 films around the world

BACKGROUND

Presently, most film analyses related to older adults are peculiar to American cinema. However, film industries outside the United States are influential in their own right. As ageism is a pan-cultural phenomenon, it is important to explore filmic representations of older persons globally. This study is the first to offer a portrait of how filmic portrayals of older persons differ across regions.

METHODS

We leveraged a 200-million-word movie corpus comprising over 25,000 scripts from 88 countries in 11 regions. The movies span a period of nearly 90 years, from 1930 to 2018. We identified synonyms of "older adult(s)" and compiled the top descriptors that co-occurred most frequently with them. Seventeen thousand five hundred and eight descriptors were generated from 3384 movies. Using these descriptors, we calculated the valence of filmic portrayals of older adults on a scale of 1 (most negative) to 5 (most positive) in each region.

RESULTS

Positive representations of older adults in movies were lacking in all 11 regions. Four regions fell into the neutral zone and the remaining seven in the negative zone. Representations of older persons were the least negative in East Asia and South Asia, and most negative in Southeast Asia as well as the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Our topic modeling revealed that older adults were portrayed as venerable in both South and East Asia. Meanwhile, older people were associated with death in MENA. The idea that society is ill-equipped to handle an aging population was hinted at in Southeast Asia.

CONCLUSIONS

As societies worldwide navigate a major demographic turning point, it is vital that filmmakers rethink portrayals of old age. In articulating the filmic narratives surrounding old age in different regions, our study lays the foundation to combat ageism on the big screen.

"Old" Does Not Always Mean "Incompetent": The Implication of Respect in the Perception of Older People Subtypes

Building on the Stereotype Content Model, the present work examined the heterogeneity of the stereotypes about older people. We aimed to broaden the range of perceived predictors of competence in older people and included respect in addition to status. Seventeen subtypes were selected in a pilot study (n = 77). The main study was conducted on a French sample (n = 212) that took part in a self-reported survey. Cluster analysis showed that specific older people subtypes appear in three combinations of warmth and competence. Correlation and regression analyses showed that competition negatively predicts warmth, and that status positively predicts competence. In a substantial number of target groups, respect played a more important role than status in the perception of group competence. To sum up, this study suggests that the perceived competence of older people is not only related to perceived socio-economic status but also to the amount of respect they receive.

Videos about older adults on TikTok

Besides being one of the fastest growing platforms since entering the social media fray in 2016, TikTok is notably monopolized by teenagers, which makes it a veritable source of information not to be overlooked by gerontologists. Currently, most studies regarding age stereotypes on social media have examined content on Twitter and Facebook. Our study explores how older adults are portrayed on TikTok and the factors associated with these portrayals. We analyzed 673 videos with the hashtags #Boomer and/or #OkBoomer that received over 5.4 billion views and categorized them into nine topics. Five of these topics (e.g., 'Warmth/Coldness') were extracted from previous studies on age stereotypes. The remaining four topics were unique to our dataset (e.g., 'Wealth Gap'). The outcome variable was 'Negative Age Stereotypes' which was rated on a binary scale. One in two videos about older adults featured negative content. As hypothesized, videos containing negative age stereotypes were more likely to be about the 'Values and Beliefs of Older Adults' (7 times), 'Negative Encounters with Older Adults' (8 times) or 'Older Adults Antagonizing the Young' (13 times). Conversely, videos which portrayed older adults as 'Warm' were 43% less likely to contain negative stereotypes. As the phenomenon of an aging population fast unfolds, it is imperative that society relinquishes its tendency to stereotype individuals on the grounds of age. By examining the possible mechanisms driving negative stereotypes of older adults on TikTok, our study provides the basis upon which such stereotypes can be counteracted. In doing so, it paves the way both to improve the well-being of older persons and to foster intergenerational solidarity.

Pension Tension: Retirement Annuity Fosters Ageism Across Countries and Cultures

Background and Objectives

Globally aging populations raise worldwide concerns about how an older population will be valued. Cross-culturally, many espouse that Eastern cultures revere their older adults more than Westerners, due to stronger collectivism and filial piety traditions. In contrast, this paper proposes a resource tension hypothesis, whereby rapid population aging causes pragmatic strain across all modernized societies, fostering ageism.

Research Design and Methods

Three studies supported this resource tension hypothesis, focusing on the pragmatic role of public pensions-a fundamental resource inherently pitting older versus younger generations-in fostering ageism. Study 1 tested the relationship between nation-level public pension rate and attitudes toward older adults by using World Values Survey and European Social Survey data sets. Study 2 further explored this relationship via priming both the pension-based resource scarcity and the intergenerational competition over the public pension. Study 3 offered an intervention-future-self-thinking via a photo ager-on reducing intergenerational tensions under pension scarcity conditions.

Results

Study 1 found a significant link between nation-level public pension rate and negative older adult attitudes across 39,700 World Values Survey, and 29,797 European Social Survey data points. Study 2 further supported the pension-ageism link via experimental methods. Participants who were reminded of the scarcity of pensions and intergenerational competition exhibited more negative attitudes toward older adults. Study 3 confirmed the effect of the future-self intervention on enhancing attitudes toward older adults even despite scarce pension resources.

Discussion and Implications

The findings support a resource explanation in driving perceptions of older adults, implicate pensions as a key mechanism driving intergenerational attitudes, and identify future-self thinking as a critical intervention. The present studies open up new research pathways for understanding and accommodating the globally aging population.

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.

Adaptation and Validation of the Spanish Version of Kogan's Attitude toward Older People Scale (KAOP)

It is essential to understand the behavior and attitudes of nurses towards older people to improve clinical practice and quality of care in the gerontological sector. A clearer understanding of the attitudes that drive nurses toward the desire to work with older people would be a good starting point to encourage the development of positive and nurturing attitudes. A cross-sectional study with non-probabilistic sampling and a self-administered questionnaire was conducted among 381 nursing students of the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Castilla La-Mancha to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Spanish Version of the Kogan's Attitudes Towards Older People Scale (KAOP-S). Construct validity, internal consistency, and reliability were assessed. In total, 298 females and 83 males completed the questionnaires. Their mean age was 20.42 years. The results revealed a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.75 for the scale, which is comparable with other published versions of the KAOP Scale. The results of the exploratory factor analysis established that the scale has a two-factor solution and an explained variance of 25% in the sample. The KAOP-S was found to be a reliable and valid tool with good content and construct validity for assessing nursing students' attitudes towards older people.

Millennials Versus Boomers: An Asymmetric Pattern of Realistic and Symbolic Threats Drives Intergenerational Tensions in the United States

Intergenerational conflict appears frequently in American public discourse, often framed as clashes between Millennials and Baby Boomers. Building on intergroup threat theory in an exploratory survey, a preregistered correlational study, and a preregistered intervention (N = 1,714), we find that (a) Millennials and Baby Boomers do express more animosity toward each other than toward other generations (Studies 1-3); (b) their animosity reflects asymmetric generational concerns: Baby Boomers primarily fear that Millennials threaten traditional American values (symbolic threat) while Millennials primarily fear that Baby Boomers's delayed transmission of power hampers their life prospects (realistic threat; Studies 2-3); (c) finally, an intervention challenging the entitativity of generational categories alleviates perceived threats and hostility for both generations (Study 3). These findings inform research on intergroup threat, provide a theoretically grounded framework to understand intergenerational relations, and put forward a strategy to increase harmony in aging societies.

Educating dental students to provide compassionate age friendly care for older adults

As the world population ages, the need for age friendly care increases. In dentistry, age friendly care requires an appropriate comprehension of multiple factors that can be categorized in socio-economic circumstances, systemic health problems, and oral health conditions. In addition to the understanding of these factors and its relationships among each other, the future dental workforce should also be aware of unconscious and pervasive societal stereotypical perception of older persons, aging, and being old, which results in ageism and ageist attitudes. Dental schools can play an important role on raising ageism awareness and combating ageism in healthcare, thus preparing the future of the dental workforce to provide compassionate age friendly care. This paper will discuss ageism in dental schools and learning strategies used to combat it and increase compassionate care delivery for older adults.

Ageism against Older Adults: How do Intersecting Identities Influence Perceptions of Ageist Behaviors?

Most ageism research has focused on prejudice against older people without considering their multiple intersecting identities. We investigated perceptions of ageist acts that targeted older individuals with intersecting racial (Black/White) and gender identities (men/women). Both young (18-29) and older (65+) adult Americans evaluated the acceptability of a variety of instances of hostile and benevolent ageism. Replicating prior work, benevolent ageism was seen as more acceptable compared to hostile ageism, and young adults rated ageist acts as more acceptable than older adults. Small intersectional identity effects were observed such that young adult participants perceived older White men to be the most acceptable targets of hostile ageism. Our research suggests that ageism is viewed differently depending on the age of the perceiver and the type of behavior exhibited. These findings also suggest intersectional memberships should be considered, but further research is needed given the relatively small effect sizes.

Reprint of: Community-level age bias and older adult mortality

RATIONALE

As the older adult population increases, understanding the health effects of bias against older adults is increasingly important. Whether structural forms of age bias predict worse health has received limited attention.

OBJECTIVE

We hypothesized that communities with greater age bias would have higher mortality among residents aged 65 and older. We expected the association to be unique to age bias, rather than general bias (i.e., sexual minority and racial bias), and that the age bias-mortality association would be strongest in predominantly White and younger communities.

METHODS

Explicit and implicit attitudes toward older adults (N = 1,001,735), sexual minorities (N = 791,966), and Black Americans (N = 2,255,808) were drawn from Project Implicit. Post-stratification relative to U.S. Census demographics was executed to improve the representativeness of county-level explicit and implicit bias estimates. County older adult mortality, estimated cross-sectionally with and longitudinally relative to bias scores, served as outcomes. Models controlled for relevant county-level covariates (e.g., median age) and included all U.S. counties (N = 3142).

RESULTS

Contrary to hypotheses but consistent with prior work, explicit age bias was cross-sectionally and longitudinally associated with lower mortality, over and above covariates and generalized community bias. The explicit age bias-lower mortality association only emerged in younger counties but did not depend on county ethnic composition. Implicit age bias was unassociated with outcomes. Post-hoc analyses supported that ageist communities may be associated with better health across the lifespan. Explicit age bias predicted lower mortality in young and middle adulthood; better mental health in middle adulthood, but not exercise or self-rated health, mediated the explicit age bias-older adult mortality association.

CONCLUSIONS

Results highlight the uniqueness of older age relative to other stigmatized identities. Further examination of the association of community-level age bias with better health may improve longevity for all communities.

Community-level age bias and older adult mortality

RATIONALE

As the older adult population increases, understanding the health effects of bias against older adults is increasingly important. Whether structural forms of age bias predict worse health has received limited attention.

OBJECTIVE

We hypothesized that communities with greater age bias would have higher mortality among residents aged 65 and older. We expected the association to be unique to age bias, rather than general bias (i.e., sexual minority and racial bias), and that the age bias-mortality association would be strongest in predominantly White and younger communities.

METHODS

Explicit and implicit attitudes toward older adults (N = 1,001,735), sexual minorities (N = 791,966), and Black Americans (N = 2,255,808) were drawn from Project Implicit. Post-stratification relative to U.S. Census demographics was executed to improve the representativeness of county-level explicit and implicit bias estimates. County older adult mortality, estimated cross-sectionally with and longitudinally relative to bias scores, served as outcomes. Models controlled for relevant county-level covariates (e.g., median age) and included all U.S. counties (N = 3142).

RESULTS

Contrary to hypotheses but consistent with prior work, explicit age bias was cross-sectionally and longitudinally associated with lower mortality, over and above covariates and generalized community bias. The explicit age bias-lower mortality association only emerged in younger counties but did not depend on county ethnic composition. Implicit age bias was unassociated with outcomes. Post-hoc analyses supported that ageist communities may be associated with better health across the lifespan. Explicit age bias predicted lower mortality in young and middle adulthood; better mental health in middle adulthood, but not exercise or self-rated health, mediated the explicit age bias-older adult mortality association.

CONCLUSIONS

Results highlight the uniqueness of older age relative to other stigmatized identities. Further examination of the association of community-level age bias with better health may improve longevity for all communities.

How does rapport impact knowledge transfer from older to younger employees? The moderating role of supportive climate

Introduction

Knowledge transfer from older to younger employees plays a key role in lessening knowledge loss and maintaining firms' competitiveness. While the disharmony derived from a salient age difference between younger and older workers hinders such knowledge transfer. This study aims to construct a rapport model to address it.

Methods

Data from 318 respondents in various industries were collected through a questionnaire-based survey to test the proposed model. The research hypotheses were tested using hierarchical multiple regressions.

Results

Our empirical results show that almost all rapport dimensions facilitate such knowledge transfer; The moderating role of supportive climate is strong that it enhances or replaces the effects of rapport dimensions on such knowledge transfer.

Discussion

This study contributes to research on knowledge transfer and rapport by providing a detailed understanding of the relational mechanism of the knowledge transfer from older to younger employees based on a revised model of rapport. It also serves as a reference for firms to leverage rapport-building and a supportive climate to enhance this invaluable knowledge transfer.

Young workers and safety: A critical review and future research agenda

INTRODUCTION

Research on young worker safety often relies on inconsistent definitions of young workers and poorly delineated indicators of occupational safety. This review aims to reconcile these fundamental issues by critically integrating research across disciplines and providing clear directions for future research on young worker safety.

METHOD

We critically review the extant research on young worker safety.

RESULTS

We first reconcile the inconsistent definitions of young workers and specify the indicators of occupational safety used in young worker safety research. We next describe the prevalence of workplace injuries and population-level predictors of these injuries among young workers and then outline other factors that increase young workers' susceptibility to workplace injuries. Finally, we discuss the convergence of many of these issues on family farms-a context commonly studied in young worker safety research.

CONCLUSIONS

Clearer definitions of young workers and indicators of occupational safety can improve the interpretation and comparability of extant research findings. Furthermore, the prevalence of workplace injuries and population-level predictors of injury among young workers are subject to the interactions among age, gender, minority status, and job characteristics. Other factors that increase young workers' susceptibility to injury include young workers' responses to hazardous work, individual differences stemming from young workers' biological and psychological development, managerial attitudes about young workers, and the limited safety training young workers are thus provided, the types of work that young workers typically perform, and the range of social influences on young workers.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Safety campaigns and safety training should consider interactions among young workers' age, gender, minority status, and job characteristics, rather than considering these features independently.

Development, Application and Evaluation of an Active Learning Methodology for Health Science Students, Oriented towards Equity and Cultural Diversity in the Treatment and Care of Geriatric Patients

The increased aging of populations and rises in immigration have prompted the design of new methodologies and instruments for fostering the invisible care of geriatric patients among health science students in accordance with the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. A total of 656 psychology, nursing and dentistry students participated in this study, which had a pretest-posttest design and was implemented over the course of three academic years. The intervention groups received training using an active learning methodology based on a case study involving a geriatric patient; specifically, a Maghrebi woman. The control groups were not exposed to the case study. The CCI-U questionnaire was designed ad hoc to evaluate the acquisition of invisible competences for caring for geriatric patients in accordance with their age, sex, emotional situation and ethnic origin. The questionnaire had a reliability of α = 0.63 to 0.72 and its factor solution was found to have a good fit. Students in the intervention groups scored higher than those in the control groups, with the difference being statistically significant for ethnic origin in all three undergraduate courses and all three academic years. The proper application of this active learning methodology fosters the invisible care of geriatric patients among students in accordance with the 2030 Agenda.

Ageism toward older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: Intergenerational conflict and support

A cross-national representative survey in Canada and the U.S. examined ageism toward older individuals during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, including ageist consumption stereotypes and perceptions of older people's competence and warmth. We also investigated predictors of ageism, including economic and health threat, social dominance orientation, individualism and collectivism, social distancing beliefs, and demographics. In both countries, younger adults were more likely to hold ageist consumption stereotypes, demonstrating intergenerational conflict about the resources being used by older people. Similarly, young adults provided older people with the lowest competence and warmth scores, though adults of all ages rated older individuals as more warm than competent. Particularly among younger individuals, beliefs about group-based dominance hierarchies, the importance of competition, and the costs of social distancing predicted greater endorsement, whereas beliefs about interdependence and the importance of sacrificing for the collective good predicted lower endorsement of ageist consumption stereotypes. Support for group-based inequality predicted lower perceived competence and warmth of older individuals, whereas beliefs about interdependence and the importance of sacrificing for the collective good predicted higher perceived competence and warmth of older individuals. Implications for policies and practices to reduce intergenerational conflict and ageist perceptions of older individuals are discussed.

Just Chill! An Experimental Approach to Stereotypical Attributions Regarding Young Activists

Climate change is a crucial issue, which is mobilized by activists. However, activists are targeted with negative stereotypes, hindering their influence. Young activists are environmentally conscious, but the stereotypical attributions assigned to them are unknown, with competing predictions in the literature (for being activist vs being young). In two studies, we aimed at experimentally examining the stereotypical dimensions that are ascribed to activists (youth vs adult) based on the Stereotype Content Model (SCM), as well as a morality/trustworthiness dimension. Considering that activists are generally considered as high-competent, but low-warm, while youth are considered the opposite (low-competence and high-warmth), we hypothesized the impacts on morality/trustworthiness. Greta Thunberg and Jane Fonda were the personalities used in Study 1 (N = 276), randomly assigned to participants while keeping the same discourse excerpt. Thunberg was penalized in all stereotypical dimensions. In Study 2 (N = 228), fictional characters (teenager or adult) were used instead. As hypothesized, no differences were found in the warmth or competence dimensions, only in the morality/trustworthiness dimension, penalizing the young activist. These results highlight the importance of studying environmental activists considering different social categories in stereotypical appraisals. They also contribute to a better understanding of general resistance towards activists, as well as the factors that are detrimental to their social influence.

"You are stealing our present": Younger people's ageism towards older people predicts attitude towards age-based COVID-19 restriction measures

The COVID-19 pandemic emerged to be a fertile ground for age-based prejudice and discrimination. In particular, a growing literature investigated ageism towards older people at the individual and the interpersonal level, providing evidence of its prevalence, antecedents and negative consequences. However, less much is known on the phenomenon at the intergroup level. To fill this gap, the present correlational research investigated the effects of younger people's endorsement of ageism towards older people on the attitude towards COVID-19 restriction measures primarily targeted to older (vs. younger) population. In the autumn of 2020, five hundred and eighty-two Italian participants (83.3% females; M age = 20.02, SD age = 2.83) completed an online questionnaire. Results revealed that the younger people's endorsement of ageism towards older people increased the attribution of culpability for the severity of COVID-19 restriction measures to older (vs. younger) people, which, in turn positively affected the attitudes towards older (vs. younger) people isolation and support for selective lockdown on older population only. The main contributions of the study, limitations, future research directions, and practice implications are discussed.

Reducing ageism toward older adults and highlighting older adults as contributors during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated ageism (stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination) toward older adults in the United States, highlighting the belief that older adults are a burden. Prior to the pandemic, a growing body of research sought to reduce ageism using the PEACE (Positive Education about Aging and Contact Experiences) model. Extending that research, participants were randomly assigned to watch three videos (less than 10 min total) that challenged stereotypes about aging and older adults, depicted positive intergenerational contact, and highlighted older adults as contributors to society (experimental condition) or three videos on wallpaper (control condition). Experimental participants (undergraduate students in Study 1 and a national community sample of young adults in Study 2) reported increased endorsement of older adults as contributors to society and positive stereotypes of older adults. In addition, in Study 2, negative stereotypes of older adults and views of intergenerational conflict were also reduced among experimental (vs. control) participants. These promising findings show that relatively brief ageism reduction interventions are effective during the pandemic and for the first time, that the perception of older adults as contributors to society can be increased. Future directions and implications for social policies are discussed.

Self-esteem as a mediator in the relationship between perceived age stigma and emotional well-being among Korean older adults: the moderation effect of marital status

OBJECTIVES

This study examined whether self-esteem mediates the association between perceived age stigma and emotional well-being (loneliness and emotional isolation) among Korean older adults and how these processes differ by marital status.

METHODS

Using the 2018 Age Integration and Generation Integration Survey, a cross-sectional national survey of Korean adults, we analyzed data from 266 adults aged 60 and older.

RESULTS

Older adults who perceived greater age stigma reported higher levels of loneliness and emotional isolation. Self-esteem played a significant indirect role in the association between perceived age stigma and the two emotional well-being outcomes. Moderated mediation analyses further revealed significant differences by marital status: self-esteem was a more powerful mechanism among unmarried older adults relative to their married counterparts.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that efforts to minimize public and internalized stigmatization of older adults and improve their self-esteem may be critical for their emotional well-being.

Changing attitudes towards older adults: Eliciting empathy through digital storytelling

Ageist attitudes ingrained within societies lead to negative health outcomes for older generations. Face-to-face storytelling is one method that is effective in combating negative attitudes but may be limited in its reach. This pilot study aimed to explore if empathy evoked through digital storytelling influenced the attitudes about older adults held by younger people. The Listening Lounge exhibition displayed ten digital stories containing narratives from older adults. Surveys captured 85 young adult participants' responses following viewing a digital story. A mixed-methods approach explored participant attitudes of older adults and their experience of empathy. The results showed a statistically significant positive change in participants' attitudes post-viewing compared to pre-viewing the digital stories; regardless of initial positive attitudes toward older adults. Participants reported that attitudinal change occurred when the digital stories challenged their generalizations about older adults, and when they felt empathy toward the storyteller. Empathy was fostered by the digital story components, particularly tone of voice and story content, which enabled a deeper understanding of the older adult's experience. This pilot study provides foundational research into the use of digital storytelling and its ability to evoke empathy and positively influence attitudes. The findings from this study may inform replication of this research on a larger scale.

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.

Comparison of long-term effects of exergaming (Xbox one kinet) and companionship programs on attitude towards dementia and the older adults among adolescents: a quasi-experimental longitudinal study

Background

Many studies have been performed on the use of intergenerational programs to improve the negative attitudes and misunderstandings of adolescents toward older people with dementia. However, the findings of these studies are inconclusive. The aim of this study was to compare the long-term effects of exergaming (Kinect) and companionship programs on attitudes toward dementia and the elderly among adolescents.

Methods

A quasi-experimental longitudinal design was used. A total of 200 adolescents aged 12–18 years old were recruited from nine schools in northern Taiwan. The adolescents were assigned to five different groups, namely, a 5-week exergaming group, a 5-week companion group, an 8-week exergaming group, an 8-week companion group, and a control group, using a single blinding procedure. Data collection was performed pretest, post-test and at 1, 3 and 6 months after the post-test. The long-term effects of the two programs (i.e., exergaming and companionship) were analyzed using a generalized estimating equation.

Results

Regarding attitudes toward dementia, the 8-week exergaming group had a significantly better attitude than the control group at the 6-month follow-up (p < 0.001). Similarly, the results of the 8-week companion group also showed a significantly improved attitude compared with the control group at the 6-month follow-up (p = 0.041). Regarding attitudes toward the elderly, the 8-week exergaming group had a significantly better attitude than the control group at the 6-month follow-up (p < 0.001). The 8-week companion group had a similar effect on better attitude compared with the control group at the 6-month follow-up (p = 0.016). Furthermore, the 5-week companion group showed a significant improvement compared with the control group at the 6-month follow-up (p = 0.004).

Conclusions

Spending companionship time with older adults is beneficial for improving the attitudes of adolescents toward the elderly. Furthermore, exergaming improves the attitudes of adolescents toward both dementia and older adults.

Trial registration

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR2100053003. Retrospectively registered on 07/11/2021.

Perceptions of older adults? Measuring positive, negative, and physical descriptors using the stereotype content and strength survey

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted the health of older adults. In addition to a higher risk for serious illness and death, the societal value of senescent adults was challenged. There have been conflicting results reported in the research literature regarding positive and negative stereotypes of older adults, and areliable and valid assessment tool to measure content (existence of astereotype) and strength (intensity of astereotype) is unavailable. To address issues with instruments employed to measure ageist stereotypes, researchers developed the Stereotypes Content and Strength Survey. University students (n=483) were directed to "think about their perceptions of older adults" and indicate how many they believed could be described using the terms listed on a5-point Likert-type scale from none-all. Response categories for each descriptive item were dichotomized into 1 = "some, most or all" and 0 = "none or few." Based on an odds analyses of 117 items, 84 met the content criteria to be considered astereotype regarding older adults. Using the criteria for strength, items were categorized into 36 "strong," 25 "moderate," and 23 "weak" stereotypes. Assessing the content and strength of stereotypic beliefs using this procedure may contribute to major bias influencing ageist perceptions.

Anti-old and anti-youth attitudes among older adults: focusing on middle-aged and old age identity

There is currently a lack of comprehensive scholarly information concerning the attitudes older people hold toward both older adults and the young. Using the social identity theory framework, this study investigated older identity issues including middle-aged identity and old age identity. We conducted an online survey of Japanese older participants (N = 301) and then implemented a Bayesian structural equation modeling to examine whether age and gender predicted middle-aged/old age identity in addition to whether middle-aged/old age identity predicted anti-old/anti-youth attitudes. Results showed the more strongly participants identified with being middle-aged the more positive their attitudes were toward old/young people, while they showed no significant relationship between old age identity and the attitudes. Regarding participant ages, the results found no significant relationship with middle-aged identity but a positive relationship with old age identity. These findings will contribute to psychological research aimed at reducing anti-old/anti-youth attitudes among older adults.¹1 A part of this study was presented at the 85th Annual Convention of the Japanese Psychological Association.

Ageism and Psychological Well-Being Among Older Adults: A Systematic Review

Ageism may have harmful effects on the psychological well-being of older adults, leading to mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety. However, there are insufficient data to establish this hypothesis, and most work on the subject has appeared only in the form of conceptual or theoretical papers. This study reviewed quantitative studies of the relationship between ageism and psychological well-being of older adults. We conducted a comprehensive review using searches of academic databases, the grey literature, hand searches, and reference mining. A total of thirteen articles were selected using the inclusion criteria. All the reviewed studies showed a negative association between ageism and the psychological well-being of older adults. The study confirmed a negative association between ageism and older adults’ psychological well-being, finding that older adults with a high level of psychological well-being may be less negatively affected by ageism, especially those who were proud of their age group, experienced less negative emotions, were more optimistic about aging and their future, were more self-confident about their bodies, and were flexible in setting goals. The identified mediators of the association can inform intervention development to the effects of ageism and improve older adults’ psychological well-being.

Influence of Contact Experience and Germ Aversion on Negative Attitudes Toward Older Adults: Role of Youth Identity

The world’s population is currently aging, and the issue of ageism has become serious worldwide, including in Japan. Negative attitudes toward older adults can have undesirable effects on the mental and physical health of this group. We focused on the effects of contact experience with older adults and germ aversion, or the degree of aversion to infection, on negative attitudes toward older adults. Additionally, we included a moderating variable; youth identity, or the sense of belonging with younger rather than older age groups. An online survey was conducted with Japanese participants (N = 603). We conducted multiple regression analyses and the results showed that the interaction effect between youth identity and contact experience on negative attitudes toward older adults was significant. The findings suggest that contact experience may help in reducing negative attitudes toward older adults among people with low youth identity. The interaction effect between youth identity and germ aversion, however, was not significant. Academic research on the effects of some psychological interventions (e.g., intergenerational social exchange) should pay particular attention to the role of youth identity. Future directions for empirical studies are also discussed.

Age Specificity in Explicit and Implicit Endorsement of Prescriptive Age Stereotypes

In this study, we investigated explicit and implicit endorsement of prescriptive age stereotypes. To achieve that, we captured endorsement of a wide range of prescriptive expectations targeting both younger (younger adults are expected to be ambitious, eager to learn, unconventional, respectful) and older (older adults are expected to stay active, to be generous, dignified, and wise) people. Younger (n = 58, 50% female, M age = 26.07 years, SD = 3.01) and older adults (n = 75, 44% female, M age = 66.69 years, SD = 4.63) participated in the study. We assessed implicit endorsement of prescriptive age stereotypes with the Propositional Evaluation Paradigm (PEP) and used a direct measure to assess explicit endorsement. In general, we found strong support for age-specificity in both explicit and implicit endorsement of prescriptive age stereotypes: Sentences ascribing expectations for young/old to the respective age group (e.g., "young should be ambitious"; "old should be wise") were endorsed much more strongly than sentences in which expectations for young/old were ascribed to the other age group (e.g., "old should be ambitious"; "young should be wise"). Age group differences in the endorsement of prescriptive age stereotypes were found. Compared to younger participants, older participants showed stronger endorsement for prescriptive beliefs targeting both younger and older targets. Explicit and implicit endorsement of prescriptive age stereotypes did not correlate with one another, thus revealing they might assess independent belief systems with different predictive potential.

We Were All Once Young: Reducing Hostile Ageism From Younger Adults' Perspective

The worldwide spreading pandemic, COVID-19, has caused hostile ageism toward older adults. We adopted a new intervention to reduce such hostile ageism. “Imagine that they were Young” referred to the imagination of what an older adult might look like, think, and behave when they were once young, which was a reversed but refined intervention of the widely-used method of “Imagine that you were old.” In the present study, intergenerational tension was primed, and then 205 younger adults in China aged 18–37 were randomly assigned to 3 different conditions (“Imagine that they were Young,” “Imagine that you were old,” and control condition), asking them to imagine (and then write down) once older adults were young, or a future aging self, or read an unrelated essay respectively as experimental manipulations. Then they should distribute medical funds worthy of Chinese 1 million to two patients with COVID-19 of 25 and 85 years old indicating their attitudes toward older adults (or hostile ageism). Finally, we measured their general attitudes and stereotypes toward older adults. Results verified the effectiveness of both interventions, such that younger adults who took either intervention distributed more medical funds and showed more positive aging attitudes toward older adults than those in the control group. Moreover, “Imagine that they were Young” was tested to be even more effective than “Imagine that you were old.” A series of relative mediation models revealed that the stereotype of warmth mediated the effect for both interventions on decreased hostile ageism behaviors, compared with the control condition. While “Imagine that they were Young” could additionally reduce hostile ageism through a higher level of “including the older adults in their self-group (the young).” This new intervention might be a good alternative to eliminate hostile ageism.

Combating Ageism through Adult Education and Learning

The demographic data and projections show that the world is ageing at a high pace and that this has transversal consequences to society. The available data on ageism show that it constitutes the most prevalent form of discrimination in Europe. Whilst this seems logical because ageism, potentially, affects everybody (unlike sexism or racism), public debates on the phenomenon are rare. The awareness of people of its importance is minimal, the resources and investigation devoted to understanding it are relatively small and the initiatives towards combating ageism are not enough. There is a mismatch between the dimension of the phenomenon and the attention that we have given it. Ageism has various negative consequences for the older adults themselves; for the institutions at large (but especially for the working world institutions) and for countries. In a fast-ageing world that will witness structural changes in age groups, ageism is a complex phenomenon that needs to be counteracted. So far, in Europe, combating ageism through law and public policy seems to have produced poor results. However, the literature shows that adult education and learning can provide very effective means to improve the mutual knowledge between generations, combat myths and prejudice and deconstruct age-based stereotypes.

Chinese Versus United States Workplace Ageism as GATE-ism: Generation, Age, Tenure, Experience

Ageism is a pan-cultural problem, and correspondingly, increased research attention worldwide has focused on how a person's age drives prejudice against them. Nevertheless, recent work argues that chronological age alone is a limited predictor of prejudice-particularly in the workplace, where age conflates intertwined elements (e.g., life stage and work experience), and across cultures, in which the nature of ageism can substantially differ. A recent organizational behavior (GATE) framework advocates for extending beyond numerical age alone, focusing instead on prejudice arising from workers' perceived Generation (birth cohort), Age (life stage), Tenure (time with organization), and Experience (accumulated skillset over time). In addition to clarifying the multifaceted nature of workplace ageism, GATE helps uncover potential cultural ageism differences. Using the United States and China as focal Western and Eastern prototypes, the current paper compares Eastern and Western cultures through a GATE Lens. Eastern and Western cultures adopt different perceptions of generations (e.g., United States "Boomers," versus Chinese "Cultural Revolution" generation), elder life stages (United States warm-but-incompetent older adults, versus Eastern pragmatic elder resource concerns), organizational tenure expectations (Western job-hopping, versus Eastern filial-piety-based loyalty), and desired experience levels (shaped different by higher Eastern frequency of mandatory retirement practices and family business ventures). Moreover, existing research offers clues for how workplace GATE-ism likely differs between cultures, but more research is needed. Future research should adopt a nuanced GATE conception of "age"-ism, toward enhanced ageism understanding and the ability to utilize a globally aging workforce.

Antecedents and Consequences of Endorsing Prescriptive Views of Active Aging and Altruistic Disengagement

In this study, we investigated endorsement of two types of prescriptive views of aging, namely active aging (e.g., prescriptions for older adults to stay fit and healthy and to maintain an active and productive lifestyle) and altruistic disengagement (e.g., prescriptions for older adults to behave altruistically toward the younger generation by granting young people access to positions and resources). The study comprised a large international sample of middle-aged and older adults (N = 2,900), covering the age range from 40 to 90 years. Participants rated their personal endorsement of prescriptive views of active aging and altruistic disengagement targeting older adults in general (i.e., "In my personal opinion, older adults should…"). Findings showed that endorsement was higher for prescriptions for active aging than for prescriptions for altruistic disengagement. Age groups in the sample differed regarding their endorsement of both prescriptive views of active aging and altruistic disengagement with older adults showing higher endorsement than middle-aged adults did. Prescriptive views of active aging and altruistic disengagement related positively to each other and to the superordinate social belief that older adults should not become a burden, which attests to their functional similarity. In contrast, prescriptive views of active aging and altruistic disengagement were associated with psychological adjustment in opposite ways, with endorsement of active aging (vs. altruistic disengagement) being related to better (vs. worse) adjustment outcomes such as life satisfaction and subjective health. Our findings highlight the internalization of prescriptive views of aging in older people and their implications for their development and well-being.