'Help me! I'm old!

' How negative aging stereotypes create

dependency among older adults.
Authors:
Coudin G; Alexopoulos T
Source:
Aging & Mental Health (AGING MENT HEALTH), 2010 Jul; 14(5): 516-23 (56 ref)
Publication Type:
journal article - research
Language:
English
Major Subjects:
Ageism
Attitude to Aging -- In Old Age
Dependency (Psychology) -- In Old Age
Help Seeking Behavior -- In Old Age
Stereotyping
Minor Subjects:
Aged; Audiorecording; Descriptive Statistics; Female; France; Human; Male; One-Way Analysis
of Variance; P-Value; Scales
Abstract:
Objectives: This study examined the effects of negative aging stereotypes on self-reported
loneliness, risk-taking, subjective health, and help-seeking behavior in a French sample of older
adults. The aim of this study was to show the detrimental effects of negative aging stereotypes on
older adults' self-evaluations and behaviors, therefore contributing to the explanations of the
iatrogenic effect of social environments that increase dependency (e.g., health care institutions).
Method: In the first experiment conducted on 57 older adults, we explored the effects of positive,
neutral, or negative stereotype activation on the feeling of loneliness and risk taking decision. The
second experiment (n = 60) examined the impact of stereotype activation on subjective health,
self-reported extraversion as well as on a genuine help-seeking behavior, by allowing participants
to ask for the experimenter's help while completing a task. Results: As predicted, negative
stereotype activation resulted in lower levels of risk taking, subjective health and extraversion,
and in higher feelings of loneliness and a more frequent help-seeking behavior. Conclusion:
These findings suggest that the mere activation of negative stereotypes can have broad and
deleterious effects on older individuals' self-evaluation and functioning, which in turn may
contribute to the often observed dependency among older people.
Journal Subset:
Biomedical; Peer Reviewed; UK & Ireland
Special Interest:
Gerontologic Care; Psychiatry/Psychology
ISSN:
1360-7863
MEDLINE Info:
PMID: 20480414 NLM UID: 9705773
Publisher Info:
URL: www.cinahl.com/cgi-bin/refsvc?jid=1538&accno=2010708351
Entry Date:
20100827
Revision Date:
20100827
DOI:
10.1080/13607861003713182
Accession Number:
2010708351
Database:
CINAHL with Full Text
 Measuring Change in Undergraduate Student's Perceptions
about Aging Using the Palmore Facts on Aging Quiz.
Author(s):
Dail, Paula W.; Johnson, James E.
Source:
16 pp.
Peer Reviewed:
N/A
Publication Date:
1983
Descriptors:
Aging Education, Aging (Individuals), College Students, Higher Education, Knowledge Level,
Outcomes of Education, Higher Education
Identifiers:
Facts on Aging Quiz (Palmore)
Abstract:
Perceptions of the aging process are of vital concern to the study of life span development. To
investigate the effect of formal instruction about the aging process on students' perceptions, and
to examine the relationship between performance on the Facts on Aging Quiz (FAQ) and
respondent variables (age, sex, school rank and major, course participation, and performance),
122 predominatly female college students, evenly divided into either an experimental or a control
condition, completed the FAQ before and after completing courses in human development. The
experimental group participated in a course on human development from middle childhood to old
age, including a weekly lecture, discussion group, or volunteer experience. The control group
participated in a child development course with no reference to the adult aging process. An
analysis of the results showed that for the experimental group, students' perceptions of the aging
process became more accurate as a result of obtaining information about aging. Students in the
control group showed no change in their perceptions of aging. All correlations between
performance on the FAQ and respondent variables were not significant. To obtain full use of the
FAQ as an educational assessment tool the content domain needs to be broadened to be more
representative of generalized knowledge about aging. (BL)
Notes:
Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Council on Family Relations (St. Paul,
MN, October 11-15, 1983). An earlier version of this paper was presented at the Annual Meeting
of the Wisconsin Council of Family Relations (Stevens Point, WI, 1982).
Sponsoring Agency:
Wisconsin Univ., Madison. School of Family Resources and Consumer Sciences.
Language:
English
Number of Pages:
16
Publication Type:
Reports - Research; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Availability:
Full Text from ERIC 
Available online
Journal Code:
RIESEP1984
Entry Date:
1984
Accession Number:
ED243015
Database:ERIC