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ERIC Number: ED201912
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1980-Nov
Pages: 24
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
The Relationship Between Information and Attitudes About the Aged.
Whitbourne, Susan Krauss; And Others
Because social attitudes constitute a salient feature of the environment in which people grow old, the measurement of attitudes toward the aged has been of concern to gerontologists for many years. An instrument is needed to provide independent estimates of information about the aged from attitudes toward aged persons. Undergraduates (N=311) completed the Adult Perception Scale (APS), a 40-item questionnaire measuring information and attitudes about the aged. The 20 items concerning knowledge about the physiological, cognitive, social, and perceptual characteristics of the aged included an equal numbers of positively- and negatively-biased statements. Half of the attitudinal items represented subjective evaluations about the personal qualities of the aged, while the other ten items concerned treatment of the aged by society. Within each group of 10 items, half were positively worded and half were negatively worded. Analysis of the internal structure of the APS revealed considerable overlap for negatively-worded attitude and information items. Positively-worded items retained distinct separation; positive attitude items and personal and social distinctions were drawn. Based on these findings, revisions of the scale were made. (Author/NRB)
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A