REDUCING AGEISM IN TURKISH-SPEAKING UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: THE ROLES OF INTERGROUP CONTACT AND PERSPECTIVE TAKING

Abstract

Introduction: Existing research findings support the prevalence of ageism and its negative effects on the well-being of older adults. Despite such data, very little research has been conducted on ageism, particularly in non-Western cultures. Materials and Methods: This study aimed to explore the roles of knowledge (regarding older people), intergroup contact (both quantity and quality), and perspective taking in predicting ageist attitudes of Turkish-speaking university students. A convenience sample of 266 (145 females and 121 males) undergraduate students participated in the study. The age of the students in the whole sample ranged from 17 years to 36 years (M = 22.08, SD = 2.60). Results: We hypothesized and found that those with more knowledge, contact, and perspective taking skills showed reduced ageist attitudes than their counterparts. Path analysis also showed that perspective taking mediated the relationship between intergroup contact and reduced ageist attitudes. Conclusion: Implications are drawn for the development of interventions aimed at targeting ageist attitudes particularly for students pursuing gerontology-related occupations.