The Gerontologist
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Ragan, A. M.
Right arrow Articles by Bowen, A. M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Ragan, A. M.
Right arrow Articles by Bowen, A. M.
The Gerontologist 41:511-515 (2001)
© 2001 The Gerontological Society of America

Improving Attitudes Regarding the Elderly Population

The Effects of Information and Reinforcement for Change

Amie M. Ragan, PhDa and Anne M. Bowen, PhDb

a University of Medicine & Dentistry, Edison, New Jersey
b Department of Psychology, University of Wyoming, Laramie

Correspondence: Amie M. Ragan, PhD, University of Medicine & Dentistry New Jersey, 100 Metroplex Drive–Suite 200, Edison, NJ 08817. E-mail: raganam{at}cmhc.umdnj.edu.

Decision Editor: Laurence G. Branch, PhD

Purpose: Altering negative attitudes associated with ageism may be possible by giving people accurate information about older people in conjunction with reinforcement for change. Design and Methods: Ninety-nine college students (35 men, 63 women; mean age = 20 years, SD = 2.78) participated in one of three groups: information only, information plus an innocuous discussion group, and information plus a reinforcement-to-change discussion group. The participants' attitudes toward elderly people were measured before, immediately after the intervention, and at a one-month follow-up. Changes in attitudes across groups and time were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and t tests. Results: Information alone produced initial improvements in attitudes in all groups; however, only the group members who received additional reinforcement for change maintained positive attitude changes at one-month follow-up. Implications:This study supports the premise that negative attitudes toward older people are amendable; however, the new attitude may be lost without reinforcement for change.

Key Words: Ageism • Discrimination • Prejudice






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
All GSA journals Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
Copyright © 2001 by The Gerontological Society of America.