Hostname: page-component-7479d7b7d-qlrfm Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-11T16:41:29.407Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

How young and older people differ in discriminatory behaviour towards older people? An explanation of the knowledge–attitude–behaviour continuum model

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 April 2018

SOONDOOL CHUNG  and
HYUNJU PARK
SOONDOOL CHUNG
Affiliation:
Department of Social Welfare, College of Social Sciences, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea.
HYUNJU PARK*
Affiliation:
Department of Social Welfare, Howon University, Gunsan, Korea.
*
Address for correspondence: Hyunju Park, Department of Social Welfare, Howon University, 64 Howondae 3gil, Impi, Gunsan City, Jeollabuk-do. 54058, Korea E-mail: hyunju1307@howon.ac.kr
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This study examined the causal relationship between knowledge, attitudes and discriminatory behaviour towards older people and further explored age-group differences using multi-group analysis. Data were collected from 1,500 Korean adults aged 20 and older in 2011 using the multi-stage quota sampling method. Trained investigators collected data with a developed survey questionnaire in person and a structural equation modelling method was used for data analysis. Attitudes towards older people was measured using two variables: ‘image of older people’ and ‘prejudice against older people’. The findings revealed that the younger and older generations demonstrated differences regarding the causal relationship between knowledge, attitudes and discriminatory behaviour towards older people. The paths model between independent and dependent variables in the structural equation modelling was non-equivalent in younger and older groups. For both groups, knowledge about ageing and older people led to a positive influence on their image of and prejudice against older people. The effect of prejudice on discriminatory behaviour was significant in the younger group, but not in the older group. Further implications for practice and future research to reduce ageism were discussed.

Keywords

knowledge–attitude–behaviour continuum modeldiscriminatory behaviourolder peopleyounger people
Type
Article
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 39 , Issue 9 , September 2019 , pp. 1996 - 2017
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ajzen, I. and Fishbein, M. 1977. Attitude–behaviour relations: a theoretical analysis and review of empirical research. Psychological Bulletin, 84, 5, 888–918.Google Scholar
Ajzen, I. and Fishbein, M. 2005. The influence of attitudes on behaviour. In Albarracín, D., Johnson, B. T. and Zanna, M. P. (eds), The Handbook of Attitudes. Erlbaum, Mahwah, New Jersey, 173–221.Google Scholar
Allan, L. J. and Johnson, J. A. 2009. Undergraduate attitudes toward the elderly: the role of knowledge, contact and ageing anxiety. Educational Gerontology, 35, 1, 1–14.Google Scholar
Allen, P. D., Cherry, K. E. and Palmore, E. 2009. Self-reported ageism in social work practitioners and students. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 52, 2, 124–34.Google Scholar
Allport, G. W. 1954. The Nature of Prejudice. Addison-Wesley, Cambridge, Massachusetts.Google Scholar
An, O., Lim, H. and Kim, H. 2002. A study on the image of elderly people in the ageing society. Korean Association of Human Ecology, 11, 4, 347–55.Google Scholar
Angiullo, L., Whitbourne, S. K. and Powers, C. 1996. The effects of instruction and experience on college students’ attitudes toward the elderly. Educational Gerontology, 22, 5, 483–95.Google Scholar
Augustus-Horvath, C. L. and Tylka, T. 2011. The acceptance model of intuitive eating: a comparison of women in emerging adulthood, early adulthood, and middle adulthood. Journal of Counselling Psychology, 58, 1, 110–25.Google Scholar
Barton, H. 1999. Effects of an intergenerational programme on the attitudes of emotionally disturbed youth toward the elderly. Educational Gerontology, 25, 7, 623–40.Google Scholar
Berg, C. A. and Sternberg, R. J. 1992. Adults’ conceptions of intelligence across the adult life span. Psychology and Ageing, 7, 2, 221–31.Google Scholar
Bettinghaus, E. P. 1986. Health promotion and the knowledge–attitude–behaviour continuum. Preventive Medicine, 15, 5, 475–91.Google Scholar
Bodner, E. 2009. On the origins of ageism among older and younger adults. International Psychogeriatrics, 21, 6, 1003–14.Google Scholar
Borgida, E. and Campbell, B. 1982. Belief relevance and attitude–behaviour consistency: the moderating role of personal experience. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 42, 2, 239–47.Google Scholar
Chaffee, S. H. and Roser, C. 1986. Involvement and the consistency of knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours. Communication Research, 13, 3, 373–99.Google Scholar
Cherry, K. E. and Palmore, E. 2008. Relating to older people evaluation (ROPE): a measure of self-reported ageism. Educational Gerontology, 34, 10, 849–61.Google Scholar
Chung, S., Jeong, H. and Kim, M. 2016. The influence of ageism and age integration on perception of intergenerational conflict: a comparison of three different age groups. Korean Journal of Social Welfare, 68, 4, 5–24Google Scholar
Chung, S. and Jung, Y. 2014. Age norms for older adults among Koreans: perceptions and influencing factors. Ageing & Society, 34, 8, 1335–55.Google Scholar
Committee of State Human Right. 2014. Human Rights Statistical Yearbook. National Human Rights Commission of Korea, Seoul.Google Scholar
Dominelli, L. 2004. Theory and Practice for a Changing Profession. Polity Press, Cambridge.Google Scholar
Eagly, A. H. and Chaiken, S. 1993. The Psychology of Attitudes. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich College Publishers, New York.Google Scholar
Fabrigar, L. R., Petty, R. E., Smith, S. M. and Crites, S. L. Jr. 2006. Understanding knowledge effects on attitude–behaviour consistency: the role of relevance, complexity, and amount of knowledge. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 90, 4, 556–77.Google Scholar
Fazio, R. H. 1986. How do attitudes guide behaviour. In Sorrentino, R. M. and Higgins, E. T. (eds), Handbook of Motivation and Cognition: Foundations of Social Behaviour. Guilford Press, New York, 204–43.Google Scholar
Funderburk, B., Damron-Rodriguez, J., Storms, L. L. and Solomon, D. H. 2006. Endurance of undergraduate attitudes towards older adults. Educational Gerontology, 32, 6, 447–62.Google Scholar
Gee, G. C., Pavalko, E. K. and Long, J. S. 2007. Age, cohort and perceived age discrimination: using the life course to assess self-reported age discrimination. Social Forces, 86, 1, 265–90.Google Scholar
Guo, X., Erber, J. T. and Szuchman, L. T. 1999. Age and forgetfulness: can stereotypes be modified? Educational Gerontology, 25, 5, 457–66.Google Scholar
Gweon, H. 2010. The structural relationships among problem drinking, depression and health disabilities: an application of multi-group analysis by poverty level. Journal of Regional Studies, 18, 3, 131–53.Google Scholar
Harris, L. A. and Dollinger, S. 2001. Participation in a course on ageing: knowledge, attitudes, and anxiety about ageing in oneself and others. Educational Gerontology, 27, 8, 657–67.Google Scholar
Hawkin, M. J. 1996. College students’ attitudes toward elderly persons. Educational Gerontology, 22, 3, 271–9.Google Scholar
Homer, P. M. and Kahle, L. R. 1988. A structural equation test of the value–attitude–behaviour hierarchy. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54, 4, 638–46.Google Scholar
Hong, S., Park, M. and Kim, W. 2007. Testing the autoregressive cross-lagged effects between adolescents’ internet addition and communication with parents: multi-group analysis across gender. Korea Journal of Educational Psychology, 21, 1, 129–43.Google Scholar
Jambor, Z. P. 2009. Sexism, Ageism and Racism Prevalent Throughout the South Korean System of Education. ERIC submission. Available online at https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED506242.pdf.Google Scholar
Jeon, H. and Kwon, K. 2009. Knowledge and attitude toward the elderly of the cyber university students. Journal of Welfare for the Aged, 43, 203–26.Google Scholar
Jeon, S. and Shin, H. 2009. Effects of elders’ image on successful ageing. Health and Social Science, 26, 165–87.Google Scholar
Jeon, S. and Shin, H. 2011. Effects of ageism experience of the elderly on depression mediated by loneliness. Journal of the Korean Gerontological Society, 31, 4, 925–38.Google Scholar
Kim, J. 2012. Ageism survey: a report on instrument development. Korean Journal of Population Studies, 35, 1, 53–75.Google Scholar
Kim, H. 2013. A study on the attitudes toward working with older adults and the behaviour toward the elderly among caregivers. Journal of Welfare for the Aged, 59, 95–114.Google Scholar
Kim, J. 2015. The experience of ageism and meaning of aging among the Korean elderly by qualitative analysis. Korea Journal of Population Studies, 38, 1, 69–104.Google Scholar
Kim, K. 2011. The factors influencing receptive behaviour on the North Korean defectors. Korean Journal of Social and Personal Psychology, 25, 3, 1–16.Google Scholar
Kim, S. and Lim, H. 2007. The effects of a senior simulation programme on juveniles: knowledge and attitudes toward the elderly. Journal of Welfare for the Aged, 37, 225–48.Google Scholar
Kim, W. 2003. An exploratory study on ageism experienced by the elderly and its related factors. Journal of the Korean Gerontologacal Society, 23, 2, 32–5.Google Scholar
King, S. P. and Bryant, F. B. 2016. The Workplace Intergenerational Climate Scale (WICS): a self-report instrument measuring ageism in the workplace. Journal of Organizational Behaviour, 38, 1, 124–51.Google Scholar
Kite, M. E., Stockdale, G. D., Whitley, B. E. and Johnson, B. T. 2005. Attitudes toward younger and older adults: an updated meta-analytic review. Journal of Social Issue, 61, 2, 241–66.Google Scholar
Lee, S., Keum, E. and Lee, C. 2010. A problem in multi-group analysis: is the test of scalar invariance needed or not? Korean Society for Educational Evaluation, 23, 2, 391–416.Google Scholar
Lee, Y. 2007. Images of the elderly held by non-elderly. Korea Journal of Population Studies, 30, 2, 1–22.Google Scholar
Levy, B. R. 2003. Mind matters: cognitive and physical effects of ageing self-stereotypes. Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 58, 4, 203–11.Google Scholar
Levy, B. R. 2009. Stereotype embodiment: a psychosocial approach to ageing. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 18, 6, 332–36Google Scholar
Levy, B. R. and Banaji, M. R. 2002. Implicit ageism. In Nelson, T. D. (ed.), Ageism: Stereotyping and Prejudice Against Older Persons. MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 49–75.Google Scholar
Lim, J. 2012. A study on the knowledge and attitudes toward the elderly of the public servants in public health centers. Public Policy Review, 26, 3, 29–56.Google Scholar
Lim, Y., Kim, J. and Kim, K. 2002. Nurses’ knowledge and attitudes toward the elderly. Journal of the Korea Gerontological Society, 22, 1, 31–46.Google Scholar
McDonald, C. 2004. Older People and Community Care in Scotland: A Review of Recent Research. TSO, Edinburgh, UK.Google Scholar
Montepare, J. M. and Lachman, M. E. 1989. You're only as old as feel: self-perception of age, fears of ageing, and life satisfaction from adolescence to old age. Psychology and Ageing, 4, 1, 73–8.Google Scholar
Nelson, T. D. 2005. Ageism: prejudice against our feared future self. Journal of Social Issues, 61, 2, 207–21.Google Scholar
North, M. S. 2015. Ageism stakes its claim in the social science. Generations, 39, 3, 29–33.Google Scholar
Officer, A., Schneiders, M. L., Wu, D., Nash, P., Thiyagarajan, J. A. and Beard, J. R. 2016. Valuing older people: time for a global campaign to combat ageism. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 94, 10, 710–10A.Google Scholar
Oh, S. 2002. Prejudice, Culture, Education. Dasan-gulbang publisher, Seoul.Google Scholar
Palmore, E. B. 1977. Facts on ageing: a short quiz. The Gerontologist, 17, 4, 315–20.Google Scholar
Palmore, E. B. 1981. The fact on ageing quiz: part two. The Gerontologist, 21, 4, 431–7.Google Scholar
Palmore, E. B. 2001. The ageism survey: first findings. The Gerontologist, 41, 5, 572–5.Google Scholar
Park, Y., Lee, E. and Ryu, S. 2016. A study on adult's elderly contact experience and attitude toward the elderly of Chungbuk residents. Korean Journal of Gerontological Social Welfare, 71, 2, 81–109.Google Scholar
Pinquart, M. and Wenzel, S. 2000. Changes in attitudes among children and elderly adults: intergenerational group work. Educational Gerontology, 26, 6, 523–40.Google Scholar
Ranor, B. 2015. Ageism inaction? Ageism inaction! Generations, 39, 3, 58–63.Google Scholar
Riley, M. W. and Riley, J. W. 2000. Age integration: conceptual and historical background. The Gerontologist, 40, 3, 266–9.Google Scholar
Rothbaum, F. 1983. Ageing and age stereotypes. Social Cognition, 2, 2, 171–84.Google Scholar
Sanders, G., Montgomary, J., Pittman, J. and Balkwell, C. 1984. Youth's attitude towards the elderly. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 3, 1, 59–70.Google Scholar
Schumacker, R. E. and Lomax, R. G. 2010. A Beginner's Guide to Structural Equation Modeling. Routledge, New York.Google Scholar
Schwartz, L. K. and Simmons, J. P. 2001. Contact quality and attitudes toward the elderly. Educational Gerontology, 27, 2, 127–37.Google Scholar
Seo, B. and Kim, S. 1999. A study on the elderly image of university students. Journal of the Korea Gerontological Society, 19, 2, 97–111.Google Scholar
Shin, H. 2010. The effects of ageism experience on ego integrity and quality of life. Journal of the Korean Gerontological Society, 30, 2, 551–65.Google Scholar
Shin, H. 2012. Effects of middle-aged Korean's ageing anxiety factors on ageism. Journal of Welfare for the Aged, 55, 33–64.Google Scholar
Sijuwade, P. O. 2009. Attitudes towards old age: a study of the self-image of aged. Study on Home and Community Science, 3, 1, 1–5.Google Scholar
Sinnott, J. D., Raval, B. and Shiffman, H. L. 1983. The effect of attitude toward the elderly on behaviour toward an older adult. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, 6–9 April, Philadelphia.Google Scholar
Stahl, S. T. and Metzger, A. 2013. College students’ ageist behaviour: the role of ageing knowledge and perceived vulnerability to disease. Gerontology & Geriatrics Education, 34, 2, 197–211.Google Scholar
Stuart-Hamilton, I. and Mahoney, B. 2003. The effect of ageing awareness training on knowledge of, and attitudes towards, older adults. Educational Gerontology, 29, 3, 251–60.Google Scholar
Terry, D. J. and Hogg, M. A. 1996. Group norms and the attitude–behaviour relationship: a role for group identification. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 22, 8, 776–93.Google Scholar
Tova, B. 2015. Health care provision for older person: the interplay between ageism and elder neglect. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 34, 3, 113–27.Google Scholar
Uhlenberg, P. 2000. Introduction: why study age integration? The Gerontologist, 40, 3, 261–5.Google Scholar
Wicherts, J. M., Dolan, C. V. and Hessen, D. J. 2005. Stereotype threat and group differences in test performance: a question of measurement invariance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 89, 5, 696–716.Google Scholar
Won, Y. 2003. Factors influencing the prejudice against the elderly. Journal of Korean Bible University, 9, 305–41.Google Scholar
Won, Y. 2005. Experiences of elderly discriminations and psychological well-being of the elderly. Social Welfare Policy, 21, 319–39.Google Scholar
Won, Y., Lee, K., Kim, W., Choi, H. and Han, E. 2006. A survey on the discrimination against older people: focused on the experience of personal and institutional discrimination. Research report of National Human Rights Commission in Korea, Seoul.Google Scholar
Wood, W., Rhodes, N. and Biek, M. 1995. Working knowledge and attitude strength: an information-processing analysis. In Krosnick, J. A. (ed.), Attitude Strength: Antecedents and Consequences. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah, New Jersey, 283–313.Google Scholar