Exploring college students’ attitudes toward older adults: A description of methods used by the gerontological literacy network

College students’ perceptions of “old people” compared to “grandparents”

“…A deductive content analysis approach was employed, guided by an a priori list of codes developed from the original data analysis (Guest et al, 2019) and research on college students' views on aging (Miles & Huberman, 1994). Data that did not fit with the a priori codes were grouped by word, and then coded based on theme.…”

“…Age and sex were collected for each participant. A full description of the study and methods used can be found in Guest et al (2019).…”

“…Recognizing the value of understanding the significant outcomes of population aging, many disciplines have worked to incorporate gerontological content into their competencies and requirements (e.g., nursing [Gilje et al, 2007;Grocki & Fox, 2004;Kennedy-Malone et al, 2006;Lyons et al, 2014], social work [Burke, 2003], and recreation therapy [Richeson & Sardina, 2016], among others). It is clear though that college students frequently hold negative or ambivalent views of aging and older adults (Guest et al, 2019;Liou, 2017), suggesting they are not well-prepared to engage with the fastest growing segment of the population or to create appropriate products, services, or policies to address the needs and interests of older adults.…”

“…It is evident that individuals can develop negative aging stereotypes at a young age. These beliefs often persist into early adulthood, and are apparent in younger college students (see Guest et al, 2019;Liou, 2017). What is less clear is how college students' views of groups of older adults (e.g., grandparents) with whom they are more likely to have had extensive contact may differ from views of older adults in general.…”

Toward a Regional Gerontological Agenda: The Use of Empowerment Evaluation

“…The Public Policy and Advocacy Committee will stimulate and coordinate policy and advocacy initiatives at the state, regional, and national levels, with the inclusive goal of active representation from each of the 14 SGS member states and the District of Columbia. The Gerontological Education Committee will work collaboratively with existing organizations and educational institutions to increase gerontological literacy defined as having or showing knowledge, experience, or culture in gerontology (Guest et al, 2019;Rowles, 2011). The committee will work to enhance opportunities in the region for gerontology education at all educational levels, both formal and community based, from grade school through graduate school and beyond.…”