Taking Ageism Seriously

Taking Ageism SeriouslyTaking Ageism SeriouslyTaking Ageism Seriously

Taking Ageism Seriously

Taking Ageism SeriouslyTaking Ageism SeriouslyTaking Ageism Seriously
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  • Reducing Ageism
    • About Reducing Ageism
    • Education about Aging
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    • About Teaching Resources
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  • More
    • Home
    • Ageism Topics
    • Reducing Ageism
      • About Reducing Ageism
      • Education about Aging
      • Programs & Interventions
      • Videos About Ageism
    • Teaching Resources
      • About Teaching Resources
      • Activities/Assignments
      • Courses/Workshops
      • Videos About Ageism
  • Home
  • Ageism Topics
  • Reducing Ageism
    • About Reducing Ageism
    • Education about Aging
    • Programs & Interventions
    • Videos About Ageism
  • Teaching Resources
    • About Teaching Resources
    • Activities/Assignments
    • Courses/Workshops
    • Videos About Ageism

About Reducing Ageism

Reducing Ageism

  • Reducing ageism requires a multi-faceted approach since ageism includes stereotyping (beliefs about the attributes of a group and its members), prejudice (affect), and discrimination (behavior).
  • Reducing stereotyping often involves education since stereotypes represent inaccurate, mischaracterizations that are applied to the group as a whole and each group member.
  • Intergenerational programs, which bring together younger and older individuals, have the potential to reduce ageism toward the age groups involved in the interaction.  In educational settings, intergenerational learning programs or service learning programs (Gaggioli et al. 2014; Roodin Brown, & Shedlock, 2013) occur worldwide including in Australia, Canada, China, Israel, Italy, Japan, Scotland, Singapore, Spain, United Kingdom, and United States (Canedo-Garica et al., 2017; Portero, 2012).  
  • There is a growing body of evidence-based research that examines interventions to reduce ageism toward older adults in particular. Results from meta-analyses (analyses that combine data from numerous studies to help draw conclusions about the body of research) point to the effectiveness of interventions to improve attitudes toward older adults.  One relevant meta-analysis included 58 qualifying published articles between 1995-2014 (Chonody, 2015), and another relevant meta-analysis included 63 qualifying studies from 1976-2018 (Burnes et al., 2019). 

Source: Alexas Fotos / Pixabay (#758926)

The PEACE Model

One model of reducing ageism toward older adults is the Positive Education about Aging and Contact Experiences (PEACE) model, which focuses on two factors that help reduce ageism toward older adults: “(a) education about aging including facts on aging along with positive older role models that dispel negative and inaccurate images of older adulthood; and (b) positive contact experiences with older adults that are individualized, provide or promote equal status, are cooperative, involve sharing of personal information, and are sanctioned within the setting. These two key contributing factors have the potential to be interconnected and work together to reduce negative stereotypes, aging anxiety, prejudice, and discrimination associated with older adults and aging.” (Levy, 2016, p.2). The PEACE model is supported by findings from a meta-analysis by Burnes et al. (2019) as well as studies that were designed to directly test the PEACE model (Lytle & Levy, 2019; Lytle, Macdonald, Apriceno, & Levy, 2020; Lytle, Nowacek, & Levy, 2020; Macdonald & Levy, 2021). 

Figure 1: Levy, S.R. (2016). Toward reducing ageism: PEACE (Positive Education about Aging and Contact Experiences) Model. The Gerontologist. Article first published online: 10 AUG 2016, doi: 10.1093/geront/gnw116. 

Additional Resources

Education About Aging

Programs & Interventions

Programs & Interventions

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Programs & Interventions

Programs & Interventions

Programs & Interventions

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Videos About Ageism

Programs & Interventions

Videos About Ageism

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References

Burnes, D., Sheppard, C., Henderson, C. R., Jr., Wassel, M., Cope, R., Barber, C., & Pillemer, K. (2019). Interventions to reduce ageism against older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. American Journal of Public Health, 109(8), e1–e9. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2019.305123. 


Canedo-Garcia, A., Garcia-Sanchez, J. N., & Pacheco-Sanz, D. I. (2017). A systematic review of the effectiveness of intergenerational programs. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 1882. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01882. 


Chonody, J. M. (2015). Addressing ageism in students: A systematic review of the pedagogical intervention literature. Educational Gerontology, 41(2), 859-887. doi: 10.1080/03601277.2015.1059139.


Gaggioli, A., Morganti, L., Bonfiglio, S., Scaratti, C., Cipresso, P., Serino, S., & Riva, G. (2014). Intergenerational group reminiscence: A potentially effective intervention to enhance elderly psychosocial wellbeing and to improve children's perception of aging. Educational Gerontology, 40(7), 486-498. doi: 10.1080/03601277.2013.844042.


Levy, S.R. (2016). Toward reducing ageism: PEACE (Positive Education about Aging and Contact Experiences) Model. The Gerontologist. Article first published online: 10 AUG 2016, doi: 10.1093/geront/gnw116.


Lytle, A. & Levy, S.R. (2019). Reducing ageism: Education about aging and extended contact with older adults. The Gerontologist, 59 (3), 580–588. doi: 10.1093/geront/gnx177.


Lytle, A., Macdonald, J., Apriceno, M., & Levy, S.R. (2020). Reducing ageism with brief videos about aging education, ageism, and intergenerational contact. The Gerontologist, doi: 10.1093/geront/gnaa167. 


Lytle, A., Nowacek, N., & Levy, S. R. (2020). Instapals: Reducing ageism by facilitating intergenerational contact and providing aging education. Gerontology & Geriatrics Education, 41(3), 308-319. doi: 10.1080/02701960.2020.1737047. 


Macdonald, J., & Levy, S. R. (2021). Education to Address Stereotypes about Older adults and Careers Working With Them. Gerontology & Geriatrics Education, 42(3), 363-379. doi: 10.1080/02701960.2020.1854246. Epub 2020 Dec 5.


Portero, C.F. (2012). Development and implementation of intergenerational programmes in the European context: Spain, Scotland, and the United Kingdom. Journal of Intergenerational Relationships 10, 190–194. doi: 10.​1080/​15350770.​2012.​673372. 


Roodin, P., Brown, L. H., & Shedlock, D. (2013). Intergenerational service-learning: A review of recent literature and directions for the future. Gerontology & Geriatrics Education, 34(1), 3-25. doi: 10.1080/02701960.2012.755624.


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