Ageism and Behavior Change During a Health Pandemic: A Preregistered Study

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a suspected surge of ageism in America and has imposed critical health and safety behavior modifications for people of all ages (Ayalon et al., 2020; Lichtenstein, 2020). Given that older adults are a high-risk group, maintaining their safety has been paramount in implementing preventive measures (i.e., more handwashing, social distancing); however, making such behavior modifications might be contingent on how one views older adults (i.e., ageist stereotypes). Therefore, the goal of the current pre-registered study was to explore if hostile and benevolent ageism relate to pandemic-related fear and behavior change. An online survey assessing responses to the pandemic was taken by 164 younger and 171 older adults. Higher hostile ageism predicted lower pandemic-related behavior modification. Those high in benevolent ageism reported lower behavior change, but also reported higher pandemicrelated fear; however, when pandemic-related fear was considered a mediator between the two, the directionality between benevolent ageism and behavior change switched, indicating a suppression effect. These findings highlight that ageist attitudes do predict responses to the pandemic and that hostile and benevolent ageism are distinct facets that have unique implications during a health pandemic.

Anti-Ageism Social Actions: Lights and Shadows

“…In this sense, some society support (mainly long-term care and adult children) has been directed towards protect older adults with overaccommodative polices and/or behaviours (such as avoiding contact with or sequestering older adults) that may undermine older adults' autonomy, their right to make their own health-based decisions and even their social and emotional wellbeing [21,47]. Vale et al [48] showed that both hostile and benevolent ageism predict divergent responses to the pandemic; while hostile ageism is associated with less pandemic-related health and safety precautions, benevolent ageism is related to increased behaviour changes, but only as a result of increased pandemic-related fear. These findings are fundamental for developing programmes or policies representing older people in the context of the pandemic, as well as in deciding which messages to use, because they may have indirect consequences on how older people are viewed and thus treated [42,47,48].…”

Experiences and priorities of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Protecting older adults has been emphasized in the effort to increase compliance with public health advice. Implementing social restrictions on all people over a certain age however is problematically ageist, classifying older adults as a homogenous risk, and undermining their autonomy [15]. Restrictions seem to commonly have negative effects on physical and psychological well-being of older patients.…”

Ayrımcılığa Covid-19 Sürecinden Bir Bakış: Temel Kuramlar, Yaşçılık Tartışmaları ve Öneriler

“…İleri yaştaki bireylerin salgın açısından daha yüksek risk altında olduğu bilgisi sonucunda sokağa çıkma kısıtlamalarını ve önleyici tedbirleri bu doğrultuda belirlemek, onları korumak açısından akla yatkın görülebilir. Ancak, diğer yandan bu uygulama yaşçılığın tetikleyicisi de olabilmektedir (Ayalon et al, 2020;Lichtenstein, 2020;Vale, Stanley, Houston, Villalba, & Turner, 2020).…”