A Negative Attitude toward a Classroom Technique Eliciting Attitudes toward Elderly Persons

Panek (1984) recently described a technique designed to demonstrate undergraduates' attitudes toward aging in an adulthood and aging course. He suggested that although "the literature clearly indicates negative attitudes toward aging and older adults" (p. 173), students were hesitant to accept that finding. This reluctance could be countered effectively, he argued, by having students replicate the empirical result in a class research project. This article briefly reviews the gerontological literature on attitudes toward elderly persons and contends that the basic premise of Panek's article concerning the existence of negative attitudes is incorrect. In addition, I argue that Panek's demonstration employed a very specific and limited research method that fails to yield representative results on general social attitudes toward elderly persons. This article identifies alternative methods and considers pedagogical effects of Panek's demonstration and the substitutes proposed for it. Does the gerontological literature show that attitudes toward elderly persons are negative? Despite isolated findings (e.g., Rodin & Langer, 1980) and strong statements (e.g., Butler, 1975) that support such a claim, reviews ofthe literature (Brubaker & Powers, 1976; Kogan, 1979; Lutsky, 1980; McTavish, 1971) have not found consistent and strong evidence for negative general reactions toward elderly persons. What the gerontological literature does show is that attitudes toward elderly persons and aging are not monolithic and vary as a function of the specific stimulus being rated (e.g., "elderly persons" vs. "aging," "elderly persons" vs. "old persons"), the research design employed, and the dependent measures and dimensions being evaluated. In addition, research results suggest that students often react more positively to individual elderly persons than to similarly described younger persons (e.g., Crockett, Press, & Osterkamp, 1979). Thus, most research indicates that elderly persons are not the object of a general attitudinal prejudice; neither do elderly persons see themselves as victimized in this way (e.g., National Council on the Aging, 1975). This general conclusion is inconsistent with the results of Panek's demonstration. Panek had student researchers ask other students to report three terms or words that came to mind in response to the stimulus "old person. " These were then rated as positive, negative, or neutral by the votes of members of his class. Results showed that negative associations to the stimulus re dominated in both kind and frequency, and Panek concluded that this illustrated more general negative reactions to aging and older persons. However, students described the stimulus most strongly and negatively In terms of one characterlstlc, physlcal deter~ora tlon. In fact, wlthout that response categorv, the frequen cles of posltive and negatlve associations were equal. That I. not surprising, because preklous research has chown that the at tr~bute "loss of health" is largely responiible for per celvers' general ratings of stimull such as "old ,ige" (e g , Collette-Pratt, 1976) and elderly persons' selt-identlficariori as "old" (e.g., Markldes 6r Boldt, 198 3). What theae re5earcf.i findlngs suggest IS that the term "old" has ,I \eiy clrcurn scribed meaning centered on health status. Thu., the terrri "old" 1s not synonymous ~vlth other general~zed or I ~ I ~ I ~ I J uatlng descriptors of elderly persons and aging How, then, can instructors more adequately detn<~il strate current attltudec toward elderly persons' One t r ih nlyue 1s to use bel~ef and attltude questlonnalres deslgneci for that purpose (e.g., Kogan, 1061, Palmore, 1977, Rose11 cranz & McNevln, 1969). Panel\'> strategy h,ls ~ e r t a l n ,l t i