Attitudes of college students toward elderly persons and their perceptions of themselves at age 75

This study explored the attitudes of business, psychology, occupational therapy, and nursing majors toward elderly persons to determine whether differences in attitudes existed among individuals in the four majors. Attitudinal differences between traditionally aged (18 to 22 years) and nontraditionally aged (23 or more years) students also were compared. No significant differences were found for the effect of either major or age. The students' concern over aging and their perception of themselves at age 75 also were explored. Traditionally aged students were significantly more concerned about personal aging than were nontraditionally aged students, although both groups tended to perceive themselves as possessing many positive characteristics at age 75. Significant differences were found across major, but not across age, on the mean number of positive and negative characteristics the students attributed to themselves in later life.