ABSTRACT

By 2050, 22.1% of the United States population will be 65 years or older, increasing the demand for well-trained, enthusiastic professionals to serve them. At the same time, later life is frequently pathologized, and there continues to be a preference for youth by those who are yet to be old as well as older adults themselves. The growing divide between this expanding cohort and gero-focused professionals is exacerbated by the under-emphasis on gerontology in undergraduate higher education and the substantial shift toward online instruction and larger class sizes in the U.S. In this quasi-experimental study, researchers examined whether a gerontology-focused empathy-building intervention (EBI) in 2 semesters of an online undergraduate course on aging changed students’ attitudes toward older adults, aging anxiety, and interest in gero-focused careers, compared with 2 control semesters taught without the EBI. Statistical results showed that neither the EBI nor course completion without the EBI significantly shifted students’ gero-attitudes and interest, suggesting the necessity of earlier and varied interventions to combat negative stereotypes about aging. Qualitative results provided some indication of the possible impact of the EBI. We describe study design, implementation, challenges, and areas for future intervention and study.

摘要

到 2050 年，22.1% 的美国人口将达到或超过 65 岁，这将增加对训练有素、热情的专业人员为他们服务的需求。与此同时，晚年生活经常被病态化，那些尚未老去的人以及老年人本身仍然偏爱年轻人。由于本科高等教育对老年学的重视不足以及美国向在线教学和更大班级规模的实质性转变，这一不断扩大的人群与以老年为中心的专业人士之间日益扩大的鸿沟在这项准实验研究中，研究人员检查了是否在关于衰老的在线本科课程的两个学期中，以老年学为中心的同理心建设干预 (EBI) 改变了学生对老年人的态度、衰老焦虑、以及对以 gero 为中心的职业的兴趣，与没有 EBI 的 2 个控制学期相比。统计结果表明，无论是 EBI 还是没有 EBI 的课程完成都没有显着改变学生的性别态度和兴趣，这表明有必要更早地采取多种干预措施来消除对衰老的负面刻板印象。定性结果提供了 EBI 可能影响的一些迹象。我们描述了研究设计、实施、挑战以及未来干预和研究的领域。定性结果提供了 EBI 可能影响的一些迹象。我们描述了研究设计、实施、挑战以及未来干预和研究的领域。定性结果提供了 EBI 可能影响的一些迹象。我们描述了研究设计、实施、挑战以及未来干预和研究的领域。