Taking Ageism Seriously

Taking Ageism SeriouslyTaking Ageism SeriouslyTaking Ageism Seriously

Taking Ageism Seriously

Taking Ageism SeriouslyTaking Ageism SeriouslyTaking Ageism Seriously
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    • 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

What is Ageism?

Measures of Ageism

*Please note that this is a preliminary list of measures of ageism and related constructs.


Review Paper of Measures of Ageism


Ayalon, L., Dolberg, P., Mikulionienė, S., Perek-Białas, J., Rapolienė, G., Stypinska, J., Willińska, M., & de la Fuente-Núñez, V. (2019). A systematic review of existing ageism scales. Ageing Research Reviews, 54, 100919. doi: 10.1016/j.arr.2019.100919. 

Source: Marta Longas / Pexels-Pixabay (#3143082)

Measures of Ageism and Relevant Constructs

The Fraboni Scale of Ageism

  • Fraboni, M., Saltstone, R., & Hughes, S. (1990). The Fraboni scale of ageism (FSA): An attempt at a more precise measure of ageism. Canadian Journal on Aging, 9(1), 56-66.
    • This article describes the original 29 items Fraboni Scale of Ageism measure (FSA), which includes 3 sub-scales: Antilocution (10 items), Discrimination (9 items) and Avoidance (10 items) and was one of the first measures to offer a more nuanced way to measure of ageism.
  • Rupp, D. E., Vodanovich, S. J., & Credé, M. (2005). The Multidimensional Nature of Ageism: Construct Validity and Group Differences. The Journal Of Social Psychology, 145(3), 335-362. doi: 10.3200/SOCP.145.3.335-362.
    • This article provides a short form of the Fraboni measure (22 items in total) and is one of the most popular measures. The shortened measure includes 10 items concerning stereotypes, 7 items concerning separation from older adults, and 5 items tapping affective attitudes. 


Below is the 22-term revised Fraboni Measure of Ageism:


Instructions: Indicate how much you AGREE or DISAGREE with the following statements by choosing a number from 1 to 6, 1 being strongly disagree and 6 being strongly agree.


Stereotypes:

1. Many old people are stingy and hoard their money and possessions.

2. Teenage suicide is more tragic than suicide among the old.

3. Many old people are not interested in making new friends, preferring instead the circle of friends they have had for years.

4. Many old people just live in the past

5. I would prefer not to go to an open house at a senior’s club, if invited

6. Most old people should not be trusted to take care of infants

7. Many old people are happiest when they are with people their own age.

8. Most old people would be considered to have poor personal hygiene.

9. Most old people can be irritating because they tell the same stories over and over again.

10. Old people complain more than other people do.


Separation:

11. I sometimes avoid eye contact with old people when I see them.

12. I don’t like it when old people try to make conversation with me.

13. Complex and interesting conversation cannot be expected form most old people.

14. Feeling depressed when around old people is probably a common feeling.

15. Old people should find friends their own age.

16. Old people should feel welcome at the social gatherings of young people.

17. It is best that old people live where they won’t bother anyone.


Affective attitudes:

18. I personally would not want to spend much time with an old person.

19. The company of most old people is quite enjoyable.

20. It is sad to hear about the plight of the old in our society these days.

21. Old people should be encouraged to speak out politically.

22. Most old people are interesting, individualistic people.

Image of Aging Scale (Levy, Kasl, & Gill, 2004)

  • Levy, B. R., Kasl, S. V., and Gill, T. M. (2004). Image of aging scale. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 99, 208-210. doi:10.2466/PMS.99.4.208-210. 
    • This article presents a measure of stereotyping developed in the United States and captures positive and negative stereotypes of older people across nine domains:  activity (walks slowly, active), appearance (wrinkled, well-groomed), cognition (senile, wise), death (dying, full of life), dependence (helpless, capable), personality (grumpy, positive outlook), physical health (sick, healthy), relationships (lonely, family-orientated), and will to live (will to live, given up).
  • Ramírez, L.F., and Palacios-Espinosa, X. (2016). Stereotypes about old age, social support, aging anxiety and evaluations of one’s own health. Journal of Social Issues, 72, 44-65.
    • Building on the image of aging scale (Levy, Kasl, & Gill 2004), this articles presents a measure of stereotyping developed in Colombia with 8 positive (loving, enjoys life moments, experienced, wise, patient, calm, family oriented, generous) and 8 negative traits (sick, stubborn, lonely, grumpy, forgetful, sad, tired, dying).


Below is the Image of Aging Scale (Levy, Kasl, & Gill, 2004):


Instructions: After each word or phrase, please provide the number from 0 to 6 that best shows how well the word matches your image or picture of a 65 year old, with 0 being furthest from what you think and 6 being closest to what you think.  These descriptions were collected from other people.


Scale:

      0                     1                    2                     3                     4                    5                    6

Not at all                                                                                                                           Very             

characteristic                                                                                                                  characteristic       

1. Walks Slowly

2. Active

3. Wrinkled

4. Well-groomed

5. Senile

6. Wise

7. Dying

8. Full of life

9. Helpless

10. Capable

11. Grumpy

12. Positive

13. Sick

14. Healthy

15. Lonely

16. Family-oriented

17. Will to live

18. Given up

The Ambivalent Ageism Scale (Cary, Chasteen, & Remedios, 2017)

  • Cary, L. A., Chasteen, A. L., & Remedios, J. (2017). The Ambivalent Ageism Scale: Developing and validating  scale to measure benevolent and hostile ageism. The Gerontologist, 57(2), e27-36. doi: 10.1093/geront/gnw118.
    • This is the 13-item multifaceted measure of ageism – exploring the benevolent and hostile attitudes that individuals hold toward older adults.  Benevolent and hostile ageism predict different attitudes toward older adults. For example, higher hostile ageism scores predict lower perceived competence and warmth ratings for older adults. Whereas, high benevolent ageism scores predict higher perceived warmth. 

Measures of Self-Reported Ageism

Cherry KE, Palmore E (2008)  Relating to Older People Evaluation (ROPE):  A measure of self-reported ageism. Educational Gerontology, 34: 849-861. doi: 10.1080/03601270802042099. 

Measures of Stereotypes of Older Adults

  • Gonzales, E., Tan, J., & Morrow-Howell, N. (2010). Assessment of the refined Aging Semantic Differential: Recommendations for enhancing validity. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 53, 304-318. 
    • This article examines an updated version of the semantic differential including 24 items on a 7 point response scale and offers suggestions to improve the measure.
  • Rosencranz, H.A., & McNevin, T.E. (1969). A factor analysis of attitudes toward the aged. The Gerontologist, 9(1), 55-59.

Attitudes toward Old People (Tuckman & Lorge, 2953)

  • Tuckman, J., & Lorge, I. (1953). Attitudes toward old people. The Journal of Social Psychology, 37(2), 249-260. 
    • This was a landmark article illustrating negative views of older adults. This article presents a measure of 137 statements covering topics such as physical change, personality characteristics, and adjustment including personality disintegration, conservatism, and resistance to change, family relationships, activities and interests.
  • Kogan, N. (1961) Attitudes toward old people: The development of a scale and an examination of correlates. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 62(1), 44-54.

Measures of Age Discrimination

Bratt, C., Abrams, D., Swift, H. J., Vauclair, C.-M., & Marques, S. (2018). Perceived age discrimination across age in Europe: From an ageing society to a society for all ages. Developmental Psychology, 54(1), 167–180. doi: 10.1037/dev0000398 (Supplemental).

Measure of Implicit Ageism toward Older Adults

Hummert, M. L., Garstka, T. A., O’Brien, L.T., Greenwald, A. G., & Mellott, D. S. (2002). Using the Implicit Association Test to measure age differences in implicit social cognitions. Psychology and Aging, 17, 482-495.

  • This article describes a measure of implicit ageism using the IAT (implicit association test), where participants are asked to associate pleasant and unpleasant words with different age groups in different combinations. 

Measure of Age-based Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire

  • Chow, D.S-K, Au, E..M., & Chiu, C.Y. (2008). Predicting the psychological health of older adults: Interaction of age-based rejection sensitivity and discriminative facility. Journal of Research in Personality, 32, 169-182.
  • Kang, S.K., & Chasteen, A.L. (2009). The development and validation of the Age-Based Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire. The Gerontologist, 49(3), 303-316.

Measures of Expectations Regarding Aging

  • Sarkisian, C.A., Hays, R.D., Berry, S., Mangione, C.M. (2002). Development, reliability, and validity of the Expectation Regarding Aging (ERA-38) Survey. The Gerontologist, 42(4), 534-542.
  • Sarkisian, C.A., Shunkwiler, S.M., Aguilar, I, & Moore, A.A.. (2006). Ethnic differences for aging among older adults. The Journal of American Geriatric Society, 54(8), 1277-1282. 

Measures of Anxiety about Ageism

  • Lasher, K.P. & Faulkender, P.J. (1993). Measurement of aging anxiety: Development of the anxiety about aging scale. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 37(4), 247-259. 


Instructions: Please indicate how much you AGREE or DISAGREE with the following statements on a scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 6 (strongly agree). 


Fear of Losses:

1. I fear that when I am old all my friends will be gone.

2. The older I become, the more I worry about my health.

3. I get nervous when I think about someone else making decisions for me when I am old.

4. I worry that people will ignore me when I am old.

5. I am afraid that there will be no meaning in life when I am old.


Fear of old people:

6. I enjoy being around old people.

7. I like to go visit my older relatives.

8. I enjoy talking with old people.

9. I feel very comfortable when I am around an old person.

10. I enjoy doing things for old people.


Physical Appearance:

11. I have never lied about my age in order to appear younger.

12. It doesn’t bother me at all to imagine myself as being old.

13. I have never dreaded the day I would look in the mirror and see gray hairs

14. I have never dreaded looking old.

15. When I look in the mirror, it bothers me to see how my looks have changed with age.


Psychological Concerns:

16. I fear it will be very hard for me to find contentment in old age.

17. I will have plenty to occupy my time when I am old.

18. I expect to feel good about life when I am old.

19. I believe that I will still be able to do most things for myself when I am old.

Anxiety about Aging

  • This is a 4-item measure anxiety about aging and has been previously used and validated by Bousfield, C., & Hutchison, P. (2010). 
  • Contact, anxiety, and young people’s attitude and behavioral intentions towards the elderly. Educational Gerontology, 36,452-466. Aging anxiety has been used in many past studies of ageism reduction interventions (Lytle & Levy, 2019; Lytle et al., 2020).


Instructions: Please indicate how much you DISAGREE or AGREE with each statement from 1 strongly disagree to 6 strongly agree.


1. I am relaxed about getting old.

2. I am worried that I will lose my independence when I am old.

3. I am concerned that my abilities will suffer when I am old.

4. I do not want to get old because it means that I am closer to dying.

Measures of Intergenerational Tensions

North, M.S., & Fiske, S.T. (2013). A prescriptive, intergenerational-tension ageism scale: Succession, Identity, and Consumption (SIC). Psychological Assessment, 25(3), 706-713. doi: 10.1037/a0032367.

  • This measure focuses on prescriptive ageism, which assesses perceptions of how older adults should behave in society. The measure includes 20 items in total across three dimensions: succession (8 items), identify (5 items), and consumption (7 items). 


Instructions: Indicate how much you DISAGREE or AGREE with the following statements by choosing a number from 1 to 6, 1 being strongly disagree and 6 being strongly agree.


  1. Doctors spend too much time treating sickly older people.   
  2. Older people are too big a burden on the healthcare system.    
  3. Older people are often too much of a burden on families.    
  4. At a certain point, older people’s maximum benefit to society is passing along their resources.
  5. Older people don’t really need to get the best seats on buses and trains.   
  6. Older people shouldn’t be so miserly with their money if younger relatives need it.
  7. AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) wastes charity money.  
  8. If it weren’t for older people opposed to changing the way things are, we could probably progress much more rapidly as a society.
  9. The older generation has an unfair amount of political power compared to younger people.
  10. Most older people don’t know when to make way for younger people.   
  11. Most older workers don’t know when it’s time to make way for the younger generation. 
  12. Older people are often too stubborn to realize they don’t function like they used to. 
  13. Young people are usually more productive than older people at their jobs.  
  14. Job promotions shouldn’t be based on older workers’ experience rather than their productivity. 
  15. It is unfair that older people get to vote on issues that will impact younger people much more.
  16. Older people typically shouldn’t go to places where younger people hang out.
  17. In general, older people shouldn’t hang out at places for younger people
  18. Generally older people shouldn’t go clubbing.
  19. Older people probably shouldn’t use social media.
  20. Older people shouldn’t even try to act cool.

Measures of facts on aging

Note: The authors of the 2015 version grant permission for anyone to use the Facts on Aging Quiz for educational purposes as long as credit is given using the following citation: 

Breytspraak, L. & Badura, L. (2015). Facts on Aging Quiz (revised; based on Palmore (1977; 1981)). Retrieved from https://aging.umkc.edu/quiz/.

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  • Palmore, E. (1977). Facts on Aging: A Short Quiz, The Gerontologist, 17 (4), 315–320. doi: 10.1093/geront/17.4.315.
    • This article presents the first measure assessing facts on aging, which includes 25 items in a true or false format. Since the original publication, the facts on aging quiz has been updated (provide years?) and adapted into a multiple-choice format. 
  • Kline, D.W., Scialfa, C., Stier, D., & Babbitt, T.J. (1990). Effects of bias and educational experience on two knowledge of aging questionnaires. Educational Gerontology, 16, 297-310.
  • Harris, D. K., Changas, P. S., & Palmore, E. B. (1996). Palmore's first Facts on Aging Quiz in a multiple-choice format. Educational Gerontology, 22(6), 575-589. doi: 10.1080/0360127960220605.
    • This article presents the original Facts on Aging Quiz which measures knowledge of the aging process, with an updated multiple-choice format.  

Measures of Interest in Careers in Geriatrics

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.


Instructions: Indicate how much you DISAGREE or AGREE with the following statements by choosing a number from 1 to 6, 1 being strong disagree and 6 being strongly agree.


1. There are good career opportunities in fields in healthcare, psychology, and social work with a specialization in working with older adults.

2. Careers working with older adults in healthcare, psychology, and social work are not interesting, and workers report their jobs are boring.

3. Careers working with older adults in healthcare, psychology, and social work are not rewarding. 

4. Careers working with older adults in healthcare, psychology, and social work are a low status careers.

5. People who work with older adults are not satisfied with their jobs.

6. There is good job security in jobs working with older adults.


Interest in careers working with older adults measure from: Macdonald, J., & Levy, S. R. (2020). Education to Address Stereotypes about Older adults and Careers Working With Them. Gerontology & Geriatrics Education, Dec 5:1-17. doi: 10.1080/02701960.2020.1854246. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33280539.


Instructions: Indicate how much you DISAGREE or AGREE with the following statements by choosing a number from 1 to 6, 1 being strong disagree and 6 being strongly agree.


1. I would be interested in a career in my field if it were focused on working with older adults.

2. I think a career in my field focused on working with older adults would be challenging.

3. I think a career in my field focused on working with older adults would allow me to make a meaningful difference in the world.

4. I think a career in my field focused on working with older adults would be rewarding.

5. If offered a job in my field focused on working with older adults, I would accept it.

Past contact, frequency, and quality with older adults

This is a control measure that has been used in numerous studies including Lytle, A., & Levy, S.R. (2017). Reducing Ageism: Education about Aging and Extended Contact with Older Adults. The Gerontologist. Article first published online: 19 NOV 2017, 10.1093/geront/gnx177. This control measure assesses past contact frequency and contact quality with older adults and is based on Bousfield, C., & Hutchison, P. (2010). Contact, anxiety, and young people’s attitude and behavioral intentions towards the elderly. Educational Gerontology, 36,452-466. 


Instructions: Please indicate how much you DISAGREE or AGREE with each statement from 1 strongly disagree to 6 strongly agree.


Quantity of contact

1. In the past, I have rarely interacted with elderly people*

2. In the past, I have interacted with elderly people in many areas in my life.


Quality of contact

3. I have had many positive experiences with elderly people.

4. Over the course of my life I have had many elderly people as friends.

5. In the past, my experiences with elderly people have been pleasant.


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