Campus Location
Abilene Campus (Residential)
Date of Award
Spring 5-2016
Document Type
Thesis
Department
Social Work
Degree Name
Master of Science
Committee Chair or Primary Advisor
Dr. Alan Lipps
Second Committee Member or Secondary Advisor
Dr. Charlie Pruett
Third Committee Member or Committee Reader
Amy Kalb
Abstract
The world is aging at a rapid pace. This creates a need for society to focus attention toward issues that are affecting the elderly population. This shift in focus regarding the elderly population also calls for the need of additional geriatric education as well as training while working with this vulnerable population. Research targeting college students’ shows that there is a lack of desire among students for working with the aging adult population. This lack of desire to work with the elderly population is associated with ageism; or, biased perceptions about age. The purpose of this study was to determine if student interactions with elderly persons, based on Allport’s (1954) Intergroup Contact Theory, in the context of a Texas Silver Haired Legislature Town Hall Meeting, would change ageist attitudes. Pretest-posttest data measuring ageism was collected and statistical tests were run to determine significance. Tests concluded that there was statically significant reduction in ageism for students who attended the Town Hall Meeting.
Recommended Citation
Nix, Taylor A., "Ageism: Abilene Christian University Students’ Perception of Aging Adults" (2016). Digital Commons @ ACU, Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 24.
https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/etd/24