This literature review explores societal attitudes about older individuals and the influence of these attitudes on the self-esteem of older persons. These topics are examined: identification of common stereotypes and myths about older persons; media depiction of older persons; influence of stereotypical images on older persons' self-perceptions;…

This study investigated the effects of reading stories depicting older-adult characters on the attitudes of fourth-graders toward older adults. Attitudes were measured by means of a semantic-differential attitude scale constructed for this purpose. One hundred five students from five fourth-grade classes were randomly assigned to two experimental…

The document is comprised of brief excerpts from the Louis Harris and Associates' study for the National Council on the Aging, "The Myth and Reality of Aging in America," the most extensive study ever conducted to determine public attitudes and perceptions of aging in this country, and to document older Americans' views and attitudes…

This study assesses aging stereotypes to provide a foundation for the development of gerontology curricula and an inter-disciplinary program in gerontology at Los Angeles City College. A sample of 147 students (60 males and 87 females, 71 aged 18-29, 39 aged 30-59, and 37 aged 60-84), enrolled in five anthropology courses and three sections of a…