Reducing Ageism: Changes in Students’ Attitudes after Participation in an Intergenerational Reverse Mentoring Program

Skye N. Leedahl,Erica L. Estus,Melanie Sereny Brasher,Dara L. LoBuono,Bethany M. Wood

doi:10.3390/su12176870

Abstract

Ageism is a societal concern that greatly affects the social, emotional, physical, and mental health of older adults. One way to decrease ageist attitudes and improve the treatment of older adults is to address and improve age stereotypes among young adults. Using data from students participating in an intergenerational digital-learning program, the present study investigated change in students’ stereotypes of older adults and aging. We examined change from pre- and post-scores in student attitudes toward older adults and the type of adjectives used to describe older adults. We also analyzed responses to open-ended questions about changes in perception of older adults and aging and interest in working with older adults. Findings showed that: (1) Students’ attitudes improved following participation in the program; (2) students used fewer negative words to describe older adults following participation; (3) answers to open-ended questions demonstrated that many students improved their perceptions of older adults; and (4) many students showed increased interest in working with older adults in their future careers. Programs that reduce age stereotypes should be promoted in order to reduce young people’s harmful ageist stereotypes, ensure respectful treatment of older adults in all workplace and social situations, and increase interest in aging-related fields.

Highlights

Age prejudice is a widely accepted, and institutionalized form of prejudice in the United States [1]—so common that many people tend to not fully recognize age prejudice when they experience it, and some may perpetuate it themselves [2]
In support of the first hypothesis, that students’ attitudes towards older adults and aging would improve following participation in an intergenerational service learning program, both quantitative and qualitative data from our study indicated that students’ attitudes towards older adults became more positive following participation in the program
In support of the second hypothesis, that participation in the program would enhance students’ interest in working with older adults, both quantitative and qualitative data from our study indicated that students were more open to the idea of working with older adults in their future careers, such as geriatric pharmacy practice

Summary

Introduction

Age prejudice is a widely accepted, and institutionalized form of prejudice in the United States [1]—so common that many people tend to not fully recognize age prejudice when they experience it, and some may perpetuate it themselves [2]. In 1969, Butler defined ageism as “a prejudice by one age group toward other age groups” Age prejudice harms societal ecosystems as it isolates older adults and creates generational divides between older and younger people on individual, community, and population levels [4,5]. Ageism is a particular societal concern at this time due to the population aging. As the number of older adults in the United States (US) rapidly increases [6], so do concerns about the way younger generations stereotype older generations [7]. The term, aging stereotypes, is defined as a way to characterize older people, the source of these characterizations is disputed among scholars with cultural, personal, self-stereotyping, and self-perceptions of aging being taken into account [7]

Methods

Results

Conclusion