Assessing age stereotypes in the German population in 1996 and 2011: socio-demographic correlates and shift over time

Lena Spangenberg (), Markus Zenger, Heide Glaesmer, Elmar Brähler and Bernhard Strauss
Additional contact information
Lena Spangenberg: University of Leipzig
Markus Zenger: University of Applied Sciences Magdeburg and Stendal
Heide Glaesmer: University of Leipzig
Elmar Brähler: University of Leipzig
Bernhard Strauss: Friedrich-Schiller-University

European Journal of Ageing, 2018, vol. 15, issue 1, No 6, 47-56

Abstract: Abstract The present study aimed to extend the knowledge regarding dimensionality, socio-demographic correlates and shifts in age stereotypes over the past 15 years using a time-sequential design. In 1996 and 2011, we assessed age stereotypes in two independent samples of the German population aged ≥ 45 years (N = 970 in sample 1, N = 1545 in sample 2). Three scales with six items each were assessed. Two scales cover negative (i.e., rigidity/isolation, burden), and one scale covers positive age stereotypes (wisdom/experience). Dimensionality of the scale, associations with socio-demographic variables and whether the stereotypes have shifted were tested using confirmatory factor analyses, structural equation modeling and analyses of variances. Three dimensions were identified and replicated following an exploratory as well as a confirmatory approach. Age stereotypes did shift between 1996 and 2011 in the dimension burden (i.e., becoming more negative). Our results further underpin the finding that age stereotypes are multifaceted and suggest that dimensions do not change over time. Additionally, our data provide some evidence that societal age stereotypes partly change over time.

Keywords: Age stereotypes; General population; Socio-demographic variables; Confirmatory factor analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10433-017-0432-5 Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:eujoag:v:15:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1007_s10433-017-0432-5

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.springer ... iences/journal/10433

DOI: 10.1007/s10433-017-0432-5

Access Statistics for this article

European Journal of Ageing is currently edited by Marja Aartsen, Susanne Iwarsson and Prof. Dr. Matthias Kliegel

More articles in European Journal of Ageing from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().