The purpose of this study was the examination of age bias in social work professionals who have direct and influential contact with a growing segment of the population: older adults. Those who work most closely with older people may be at risk for age bias, although much of the research on age bias has been conducted with students rather than with those who work with older people. This study adds to the research on prejudice; the sources from which attitudes, values, prejudices, and stereotypical thinking arise were addressed. Key experiences with older individuals were found to predict age bias. Because social work ethical principles closely align with conditions known to reduce prejudice, it was hypothesized that higher ethics adherence would be associated with less age bias. Specific experiential factors were found to influence prejudice toward older people. Influences from family beliefs and from television and other media were associated with a non-biased attitude, as were influences from caregiving to older people. These sources of one's values and beliefs about older individuals were also found to predict the extent of one's knowledge of aging processes. Although ethics adherence was not a predictor of age bias, the discovery of the influence of family beliefs, media portrayals, and caregiving experiences revealed a need for awareness of ageist beliefs in a professional population that works extensively with older adults. / Ph. D.

No description available.

Objectives: This thesis includes two distinct pieces of work. The purpose of the systematic review was to address a gap in the literature by examining available evidence relating to the use of Emotional Regulation (ER) strategies (avoidance, problem solving, reappraisal, rumination, and suppression) on the wellbeing of older people. The empirical paper aimed to examine the role of ER strategies and ageism on adjustment and retirement satisfaction. It also sought to examine the impact of other contextual factors such as financial status, health, and social support on retirement wellbeing. Methods: A systematic review of cross-sectional studies examining a quantitative association between one aspect of ER (avoidance, problem-solving, reappraisal, rumination and /or suppression) and a self-reported quantitative well-being measure was completed via a comprehensive literature search of electronic databases. Studies were included if the participants were 60 years or older and without cognitive impairment. Wellbeing was explored in a broader way not only including measures of the absence of illness but positive constructs such as positive affect, positive social relations or autonomy. In the empirical study, participants completed a postal survey which included ER strategies, attitudes to ageing, adjustment and satisfaction with retirement and contextual factors such as financial status, health and social support. A series of hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the independent contributions of ER strategies and attitudes to aging to adjustment to, and satisfaction with, retirement. Results: Twenty studies met inclusion criteria for the systematic review. The relationship between life satisfaction, positive emotion and ER was explored by four studies while nineteen out of twenty studied the relationship between ER and anxiety and depression. Only a conclusion about ER and negative mood measures could be made given the scarcity of research examining the association between ER and positive psychological concepts. Rumination was found to be the ER strategy most strongly associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression in OP population, while mixed results were found for avoidance, problem solving, suppression and reappraisal. Findings from the empirical study indicated that traditional predictors of adjustment (wealth and health) accounted for 12% of the total variance in outcome. Problem-solving was the strongest variable in the model explaining 24% of the difference in adjustment. Interestingly, the retirees who reported not having used problem-solving as a mechanism to cope with retirement were the most adjusted. Regarding satisfaction, retirees tended to experience higher retirement satisfaction if they had a greater level of self-rated mental health and increased access to household income (explained 14% and 9% of the total variance respectively). However, retirees who reported high levels of rumination experienced lower retirement satisfaction (rumination accounted for 8% of the total variance). Ageism was not a predictor of retirement adjustment or satisfaction. Conclusions: According to the systematic review, rumination seems to be the ER strategy most strongly associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression in OP population. This finding was consistent despite the heterogeneity of the studied populations and a variety of outcome measures. Further research is needed to explore the impact of ER strategies on measures of physical health and wellbeing in OP. The results of the empirical paper support the role of traditional predictors (wealth and health) in satisfaction and adjustment with retirement. The retirees who adjusted better to retirement were those who did not use problem-solving as a strategy to confront retirement. Retirees who reported high levels of rumination experienced lower retirement satisfaction. Ageism did not predict retirement satisfaction or adjustment. These findings are discussed in the context of retirement planning and successful ageing.

This study is intended to explore how physicians can best help their older patients attain a better quality of life through sexual healthcare by eliciting older patients perceptions and experiences regarding their sexual health needs and what role their physician should play in meeting those needs. Participants consisted of individuals and couples over the age of 65 recruited from a continuing care retirement community and from a VA Geriatric Clinic. Twenty in-depth, one-on-one interviews were conducted, and transcripts were analyzed using qualitative methodology. Analysis of transcripts revealed a broad range of findings including seniors perceptions of: the definitions of sexual activity and sexual health, their own sexual status, their own sexual health needs, the barriers to meeting their sexual health needs, and the ageist beliefs of others and themselves. This study exposed older patients self-perceived sexual health needs and the barriers to having those needs met; this knowledge should help physicians improve the quality of life for their senior patients through improved sexual health care.

Thesis (M.S.) -- University of Texas at Arlington, 2008.

The linguistic intergroup bias is a phenomenon where people use more abstract language to talk positively about in-groups and negatively about out-groups (Maass, Salvi, Arcuri, & Semin, 1989). This has been established for many in-groups, but has not been extended to age-related stereotypes. This study extended the linguistic intergroup bias to attitudes towards older adults. It was predicted that statements about what participants liked about their peers and disliked about older adults would be more abstract than statements about what participants disliked about their peers and liked about older adults. Results supported these predictions. Also, a new measure of linguistic abstractness was tested, but was found not to be useful in this context. / Department of Psychological Science

Aged by popular culture is a research project designed to investigate how our perceptions of age and aging are shaped by two specific aspects of North American culture – Western media and popular culture – which have advanced and reinforced ageism though their celebration of the ‘cult of youth‘ and negative depictions of aging and old age that form the foundation of the anti-aging industry. This combination of factors has pushed older adults out into the margins of society where they have largely become invisible, resulting in an ageism that has become normalized and largely internalized by the general population. Sixteen participants (5 between the ages of 20-35 years of age, and 11 between the ages of 65-80-years of age) contributed to this research in 2017-2018. Each participant created photographs or collage images based on specific interview questions that focused on media and popular culture’s depiction of aging and older age in contemporary society, which were then discussed during a recorded qualitative interview. Participant photos, images and audio clips are included in the dissertation which is in a website format that was specifically designed as a teaching tool to be used in K-12 schools, post-secondary institutions, and other organizations and senior’s centres. This website dissertation has the objective of promoting critical thinking that may generate a positive change in attitudes towards aging, build more positive intergenerational connections, and help to reduce the harmful effects of ageism in contemporary society. Seven theme topics were created based on an analysis of the participant images and interviews which can be accessed through ‘Themes’ on the Website Menu. I suggest using these themes as your navigation tools through the website. Each section contains a discussion and analysis of the topic, plus participant photos, text and audio clips. Links within pages provide access to detailed information on the various statistics, concepts and definitions connected to each theme topic. Additional information on Aged by popular culture and the research process is available through links on the ‘Research’ section of the ‘Website Menu.’ (See ‘Table of Contents’ for the complete list of website menu sections and topics.) The Literature Review and Copyright information are also included in a PDF format, as part of this submission. Please note: The dissertation (‘Aged by popular culture’) was created as a website. The current URL link is: https://agedbypopularcultureoutcalt.uvic.ca .The website dissertation has also been archived as a URL and can be accessed through this link: https://wayback.archive-it.org/17458/20210908235329/https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/outcaltl/ / Graduate

Bakgrund Ålderdomen som fenomen är i samhället förenad med myter kring hur den äldre personen bör vara och bete sig. Ålderistiska attityder förekommer inom vård och omsorg vilket påverkar kvalitén på den omvårdnad som ges till äldre. Syfte Syftet var att beskriva hur ålderism påverkar omhändertagandet av personer över 65 år inom vård och omsorg. Metod Arbetet utfördes i form av en allmän litteraturöversikt. Totalt inkluderades 13 artiklar i resultatet. Samtliga var publicerade mellan år 2007 och 2016. Kvalitativa, kvantitativa, mixade samt retrospektiva artiklar analyserades och sammanställdes i en matris. Utifrån matrisen bearbetades artiklarnas resultat till ett för litteraturöversikten övergripande resultat. Resultat Resultatet redovisades i form av tre huvudteman: vårdpersonal och studenters syn på äldre personer, att främja positiva tankar kring åldrandet samt omvårdnadsmiljön understödjer ålderism och upplevd diskriminering. Det övergripande resultatet tyder på att främjande av positiva attityder i kombination med ökad geriatrisk kunskap hos vårdpersonal kan bidra till att minska diskrimineringen av personer över 65 år. Slutsats En ökande andel patienter över 65 år inom vård och omsorg innebär att det blir viktigt att förmedla kunskap till vårdpersonalen om hur de i sitt arbete kan skapa förutsättningar för att ge god omvårdnad till den äldre generationen. En minskning av diskrimineringen skulle på längre sikt kunna öka äldre personers trygghet och välbefinnande när de befinner sig inom vård och omsorg.

Negative stereotypes of aging, such as dependency, tend to paint a picture of older adults as frail or a burden on society. This study aimed to explore the relationship between the Fear of Dependency Scale and anxiety and depression, evaluating gender, age, and physical health as moderators. Findings suggest that age moderated the relationship between fear of dependency and depression and anxiety in women, with middle-aged women reporting the highest levels of depression and anxiety. Similarly, poor physical health in women with high fear of dependency being related to higher levels of depression and anxiety. Fear of dependency was related to higher levels of depression, but not anxiety in men. Age did not moderate the relationship between fear of dependency and mental health measures, but physical health did moderate the relationship. Men with poor perceived health and a high fear of dependency reported higher levels of depression.

The present study sought to determine the direction and degree to which occupations representative of all major occupational categories are viewed as age-typed (i.e., more appropriate for older or younger workers). The 60 occupations examined were the 12 most common and familiar occupations in each of five occupational categories used by the U.S. Census Bureau. I randomly assigned 365 participants to one of three survey conditions. Participants rated the feature centrality, proportional representation, normative age, and optimal performance age of 20 of the 60 occupations and the age-type of 20 different occupations. Results showed that participants reliably rated the occupations on a continuum from highly young-typed to highly old-typed. Occupations viewed as most appropriate for older workers included psychologists (clinical), bus drivers, and librarians, whereas those viewed as most appropriate for younger workers included recreation and fitness workers, bartenders, and hosts/hostesses. Interestingly, despite commonly held stereotypes that older workers are less competent than younger workers (Kite, Stockdale, Whitley, & Johnson, 2005), old-typed occupations were viewed as requiring higher competence than those viewed as young-typed. Additionally, roughly three times as many workers are needed to fill the most young-typed jobs compared to the most old-typed jobs (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000). Both of these findings suggest problems for an increasingly aging workforce (Administration of Aging, 2010). I also found that perceived proportional representation accounted for 79% of the variance in predicting the age-type of occupations. This suggests that people rely on general impressions of current worker ages, which supports career timetables theory‘s approach to the formation of occupational agetype. Implications for theory and research are discussed.