THE RELATIONSHIP OF AGEISM, INTENTION TO WORK WITH OLDER ADULTS, AND SOCIAL DESIRABILITY

Abstract Previous research demonstrates: 1) men and younger adults have higher negative ageism scores than women and older adults 2) higher scores of negative ageism are associated with lower intention to work with older adults and 3) women and older adults have higher scores for social desirability. It remains unclear how these factors interact. University students (N=547) aged 16 - 59 (Mean = 20.6) completed a survey measuring positive and negative attitudes towards older adults, intention to work with older adults, and social desirability. ANOVAs found a significant effects in negative ageism based on age, F(1, 3) = 6.69, p = 0.01, ω2 = 0.01, and gender, F(1, 3) = 11.43, p = 0.001, ω2 = 0.02, with a small effect size, but no significant interaction between age and gender. Young adults (M = 22.3) and males (M = 21.5) demonstrated more negative ageism than middle aged adults (M = 23.1) and females (M = 22.7) (lower scores indicate negative attitudes). An ANOVA of gender x age x social desirability was also significant for negative ageism, F(11) = 2.00, p = 0.03. However, there were no significant effects or interactions for gender or age on positive ageism and intention to work with older adults, or when social desirability was added. Although there were differences between demographic and social desirability groups for negative ageism, this relationship was not found for positive ageism. We expected social desirability to play a role in ageism, but this was not the case in the current sample.

hypotheses, competence ratings increased but warmth and overall impression ratings decreased when the older target rejected benevolent ageism compared with accepting it.Also consistent with predictions, older participants rated the older target more positively on all measures compared with younger participants.Surprisingly, the 80 year-old target was rated as warmer and made a more positive overall impression than did the 60 year-old target.Target age did not moderate reactions to accepting or rejecting unwanted help, suggesting that perceivers did not distinguish between young-old and old-old targets when evaluating an older target that confronts benevolent ageism.Taken together, these findings are consistent with research on confronting prejudice in general, whereby such confrontations can result in both positive and negative outcomes.Although older adults may reaffirm their competence through rejecting benevolent ageism they will also face the social cost of being viewed as less warm.

THE IMPACT OF COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY ON RELIEVING NURSES' AGEISM TOWARD OLDER ADULTS
Mohammad Rababa, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Irbid, Jordan Background: Previous research has approved the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) in managing some psychological problems.However, no previous has examined its impact on nurses' death anxiety and ageism.
Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted on a total of 110 nurses who were randomly assigned to the study groups to test the effectiveness of CBT to reduce nurses' death anxiety and ageism.The intervention was comprised of multiple training sessions delivered in five modules with the incorporation of several CBT exercises which are guided by the principles of Terror Management Theory.
Results: Overall, using CBT revealed a significant improvement in nurses' level of death anxiety and ageism among the intervention group compared to the control group.CBT nurses had lower levels of ageism and death anxiety than those in the control group.
Conclusions: the use of CBT is very effective in relieving nurses' death anxiety and ageism.The findings of the study have proved CBT is an innovative and creative psychological intervention that improves nurses' psychological well-being and relieves stress and anxiety experiences associated with caring for older adults such as death anxiety which is the precursor of ageism.Future studies are recommended to examine the impact of CBT on other types of prejudices, including sexism and racism among nurses.Relevance to clinical practice: These findings could contribute to improved quality of life and healthcare provided to older adults.CBT could be a crucial component of the ongoing training program for gerontological nurses to target their ageism.

THE RELATIONSHIP OF AGEISM, INTENTION TO WORK WITH OLDER ADULTS, AND SOCIAL DESIRABILITY Maria MacLean, and Jessica Strong, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada
Previous research demonstrates: 1) men and younger adults have higher negative ageism scores than women and older adults 2) higher scores of negative ageism are associated with lower intention to work with older adults and 3) women and older adults have higher scores for social desirability.It remains unclear how these factors interact.University students (N=547) aged 16 -59 (Mean = 20.6) completed a survey measuring positive and negative attitudes towards older adults, intention to work with older adults, and social desirability.ANOVAs found a significant effects in negative ageism based on age, F(1, 3) = 6.69, p = 0.01, ω2 = 0.01, and gender, F(1, 3) = 11.43,p = 0.001, ω2 = 0.02, with a small effect size, but no significant interaction between age and gender.Young adults (M = 22.3) and males (M = 21.5)demonstrated more negative ageism than middle aged adults (M = 23.1) and females (M = 22.7) (lower scores indicate negative attitudes).An ANOVA of gender x age x social desirability was also significant for negative ageism, F(11) = 2.00, p = 0.03.However, there were no significant effects or interactions for gender or age on positive ageism and intention to work with older adults, or when social desirability was added.Although there were differences between demographic and social desirability groups for negative ageism, this relationship was not found for positive ageism.We expected social desirability to play a role in ageism, but this was not the case in the current sample.

PERCEIVED WORKPLACE AGEISM AND OLDER WORKERS DURING THE GREAT RECESSION Duygu Basaran Sahin, The Graduate Center & CUNY Institute for Demographic Research, Brooklyn, New York, United States
Age discrimination claims filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission increased sharply at the beginning of the Great Recession (GR) and stayed elevated.Moreover, despite having lower unemployment rates compared to younger workers, older workers' unemployment lasted longer.Previous studies suggest that age discrimination might have extended the unemployment duration for older workers.However, no study has examined the role of perceived workplace ageism in older workers' employment outcomes during the GR.This paper uses longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study to answer the following question: Were older workers who reported to perceive workplace ageism more likely to be unemployed or quit the labor force during the Great Recession?The baseline sample consists of workers aged 51 or older in 2006 (N=4,176).Multinomial logistic regression results show that older workers who agreed that in decisions about promotion, their employer gives younger people preference over older people, were more likely (RRR 2.05, p=0.01) to lose employment in 2008 than being employed, controlling for age, gender, race, education, health, marital status and job characteristics.Older workers who agreed that their co-workers make older workers feel that they have to retire before age 65, were more likely (RRR 1.63, p=0.002) to quit the labor force in 2008 than being employed, controlling for the aforementioned variables.These findings shine light on the important role that perceived workplace ageism played in older workers' employment outcomes during the GR.