Perception of Old Age by the Inhabitants of Poland

Abstract

Introduction: People’s self-esteem and public perception of senior citizens both play important roles in perceiving old age. The public perception manifests itself in adopting specific attitudes toward the elderly. Aim of the work: The work aimed at attempting to specify how adults and the elderly perceive old age. Material and method: The diagnostic poll method was employed as the main research tool, whereas the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Questionnaire by Morris Rosenberg and the Kogan’s Attitudes toward Old People Scale, as well as authors’ own sociodemographic variables metrics, were used as research tools. The investigation was administered in a cohort of 206 people living in Poland. Results: The average number of points on the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Questionnaire by Morris Rosenberg (SES) was 29.01 (SD = 4.24). People over the age of 60 (M = 30.07 points), males (M = 32.05 points), those in a relationship (M = 30.22 points), declaring higher education (M = 30.33 points), and a good material situation (M = 30.12 points) enjoyed higher self-esteem. The average number of points on the Kogan’s Attitudes toward Old People Scale (KAOP) in the research cohort was 126.48. The assessment of the elderly was higher among those below 60 (M = 127.06), females (M = 127.29), those in a relationship (M = 129.78), those declaring higher education (M = 128.56), and those in a good material situation (M = 126.99). Conclusions: Respondents perceived old age positively, albeit at a low level. It is necessary to review activities undertaken in the sphere of social policy in Poland because activities undertaken to date are failing to improve old age perception. Actions need to be undertaken aiming at raising self-esteem level in Polish senior citizens, and available financial, social, and psychological resources from the government and community associations should all be used to this end.

Attitudes Towards the Elderly in Polish Society: Is Knowledge About Old Age and Personal Experiences a Predictor of Ageism?

“…These participants had an average 126.48 points on the KAOP, with the highest scores attained by women aged <60 years, who were in a relationship, had completed higher education and were in a good financial situation. 23 In contrast, the participants in the present study had an average 90.88 points on the KAOP.…”

Attitudes toward older people among nursing students in Greece

“…The general range of results for KAOP varies from 34 to 204 points, and higher scores represent more positive attitudes 15 . The scale has been adapted and validated in several countries, including Greece 16 . The Greek version of the scale demonstrated internal consistency reliability with a Cronbach's α coefficient of 0.73 for the negative items and 0.65 for the positive items 16 …”

“…15 The scale has been adapted and validated in several countries, including Greece. 16 The Greek version of the scale demonstrated internal consistency reliability with a Cronbach's α coefficient of 0.73 for the negative items and 0.65 for the positive items. 16 To assess the dehumanization of older people, a modified and culturally adapted version of the scale of dehumanization (Human Nature & Human Uniqueness Scale) by Bastian and Haslam 17 was used.…”

“…16 The Greek version of the scale demonstrated internal consistency reliability with a Cronbach's α coefficient of 0.73 for the negative items and 0.65 for the positive items. 16 To assess the dehumanization of older people, a modified and culturally adapted version of the scale of dehumanization (Human Nature & Human Uniqueness Scale) by Bastian and Haslam 17 was used. "Human Uniqueness" refers to traits that distinguish humans from other animals, and include delicacy, politeness, continence, and higher cognition, while "Human Nature" refers to shared and fundamental human characteristics, such as sensitiveness, autonomy, kindness, and cognitive flexibility.…”

Ageism and loneliness in the subjective perceptions of elderly people from nursing homes and households

“…The aging of the population poses serious challenges to public health and the social policy of the state [1]. Old age is just beginning to be understood as a period that conceals great reserves and opportunities [2,3]. Representatives of the 65+ age group are a special social group and require attention not only from the family but also from society as a whole [4].…”