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Different dimensions of ageist attitudes among men and women: a multigenerational perspective

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 February 2012

Ehud Bodner ,
Yoav S. Bergman  and
Sara Cohen-Fridel
Ehud Bodner*
Affiliation:
Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel Music Department, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
Yoav S. Bergman
Affiliation:
Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
Sara Cohen-Fridel
Affiliation:
School of Education, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Dr. Ehud Bodner, The Inter-disciplinary Department of Social Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 52900, Israel. Phone: +972-3-5317010; Fax: +972-3-6771134. Email: bodnere@mail.biu.ac.il.
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Abstract

Background: Ageism, a form of prejudice in which one relates negatively to people due to their age, exists throughout life. However, no attempt has been made to compare ageist attitudes across the life cycle, from young adulthood to old age. Consequently, the current study examined age and gender differences in ageism throughout adulthood.

Methods: 955 Israeli participants (age range: 18–98 years) were divided into three age-groups: young (18–39), middle-aged (40–67), and old (68–98), and were administered the Fraboni Scale of Ageism. Age and gender differences were examined both for the three groups and for subgroups within the older adult cohort.

Results: Multivariate analysis of variance revealed that middle-aged participants were significantly more ageist than younger and older groups. Across all age groups, men exhibited more avoidance and stereotypical attitudes toward older adults than women. Among the old age group, participants aged 81–98 held more ageist stereotypes and reported more avoidance of older adults than those aged 68–73. Within the older adult cohort, gender was a significant predictor for ageist attitudes among those aged 68–73 and 81–98, but not for people aged 74–80.

Conclusions: Ageism demonstrates a changing pattern across the life span. While gender differences remain stable, ageist attitudes toward growing old as we age ourselves are constantly changing. In order to gain a better understanding of ageism as a general and global phenomenon, we need to consider the role of such attitudes in different stages of life.

Keywords

age-groupsageismagingdeathgender differences
Type
Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 24 , Issue 6 , June 2012 , pp. 895 - 901
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2012

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