Ageism before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract

Both benevolent and hostile ageism can have deleterious effects on older adults. Given the explicit ageist messages in the media, we anticipated increases in both benevolent and hostile ageism in the context of COVID-19. Moreover, we predicted that age and initial COVID-related concerns would influence both initial levels and change over time in ageism, with younger adults and those who were more concerned about COVID-19 exhibiting higher levels of both types of ageism. Adults (N = 325, M age = 39.7) were surveyed at 5 time points across the first 4 months of the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S. A series of growth curve analyses was conducted to examine individual differences in ageism and change over time for each type of ageism. We were able to detect individual differences in both benevolent and hostile ageism. Benevolent ageism and hostile ageism decreased over time. Although age and COVID-19 concerns were associated with initial levels of ageism, neither influenced the rate of change. Our results demonstrate that benevolent ageism and hostile ageism decreased over the first 4 months of the U.S. pandemic. As a dynamic situation, changes may require a longer period of time in order to be detected.What is the significance of this article for the general public?Despite the warnings of the scientific community to be mindful of potential increases in ageist attitudes, our data-driven approach suggests relatively small changes in ageism during these early days of the pandemic, while highlighting the need for increased specificity regarding the nature of these ageist beliefs. We hope that these findings support data-driven public advocacy.

The DAS-6: A Short Form of the Dementia Attitudes Scale

“…We are intrigued by this difference between the two shortened subscales. It suggests that the Person-Centered Knowledge construct may be more important to target than the social comfort construct, a point which we have argued in our examination of ageism in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic (Bernstein et al, 2022).…”

Predictors of Fear of Dementia Among Adults

“…10 Specific examinations of ageism suggest that personal experience and objective knowledge influence attitudes toward older adults in general, and persons with dementia, in particular. 1,11 Recently, the Positive Education about Aging and Contact Experiences (PEACE) model was offered to guide intergenerational contact through objective knowledge and attitudes. 9 In the current study, we examined the contributions of the two contributors in the PEACE Model, knowledge and allophilia (i.e.…”