Self-Reported Ageism in Social Work Practitioners and Students
Abstract
In this study, we focus on self-reported ageism in college students and social service providers using the Relating to Older People Evaluation (ROPE; Cherry & Palmore, 2008). The ROPE is a 20-item questionnaire that measures positive and negative ageist behaviors that people engage in during everyday life. Participants included undergraduate and graduate social work students and practicing social service providers in the nursing home and mental health setting. Findings indicate that people of varying educational backgrounds and occupational experience in social services readily admit to positive ageist behaviors. Item analyses revealed similarities and differences between groups in the most and least frequent forms of ageism endorsed. Ageism as a social phenomenon with implications related to social work policy and practice is discussed.
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People are more likely to admit positive ageism compared to negative ageism.
“Multiple studies have also found that people are more likely to admit positive ageism compared to negative ageism, which may explain the association between social desirability and self-reported ageism questionnaires (Allen, Cherry, & Palmore, 2009; Cherry et al., 2015; Papadaki, Plotnikof, & Papadaki, 2011).”
From Correlates of dementia-related anxiety: self-perceived dementia risk and ageism (2020) · cites this paper as Allen, Cherry, & Palmore, 2009
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“Given social work’s call to promote social justice among those most vulnerable, ageism—a term coined by Robert Butler (1969) and defined as discrimination based on age—impacts both practice and personal behavior towards older persons.”
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- Authors
- Allen, P., Cherry, K., & Palmore, E.
- Affiliations
- Louisiana State University (US)
- Duke University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Allen, Priscilla
- ORCID
- Cherry, Katie
- Venue
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2009-02
- Volume
- 52
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 124-134
- ISSN
- 0163-4372 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2124979176
- Cited by
- 67
- References
- 18
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 4.70
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Civil War Book Review (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
- Social Sciences › Demography › Retirement, Disability, and Employment
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
- Keywords
- ageism, social work students, social service providers, attitudes toward older adults, nursing homes, mental health services, educational background, occupational experience
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Educational Status, Female, Geriatrics, Homes for the Aged, Humans, Male, Mental Health Services, Middle Aged, Nursing Homes, Prejudice, Social Work, Students, Young Adult
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