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Measuring Ageism Based on Knowledge, Attitudes and Behavior: Findings from an Israeli Pilot Study

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An Erratum to this article was published on 27 July 2016

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to present the challenges and findings of a preliminary attempt to create a national “measurement” tool for ageism. We conducted on a random sample of 92 participants and used three ways of measuring ageism. This was the first time that the components of knowledge, attitudes and behaviour were combined within the framework of a single national-based survey. Respondents demonstrated a “fair” level of knowledge with regard to ageing and older adults; some level of implicit ageist attitudes; and some negative ageist expressions; however, the respondents rejected blatant ageist comments. This exploratory survey represents a first step in learning about the phenomenon on a national scale and in the Israeli context. This study can act as a basis for continued research and study of the concept of ageism on national scales both in Israel and in other countries.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mount Scopus, 91905, Jerusalem, IL, Israel

    Sharon Shiovitz-Ezra

  2. Gabi and Louis Weisfeld School of Social Work, Faculty of Social Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel

    Liat Ayalon

  3. Center for Research on Aging, Brookdale Institute, JDC, Jerusalem, Israel

    Jenny Brodsky

  4. Department of Gerontology & School of Social Work, Faculty of Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel

    Israel (Issi) Doron

Authors
  1. Sharon Shiovitz-Ezra
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  2. Liat Ayalon
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  3. Jenny Brodsky
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  4. Israel (Issi) Doron
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Israel (Issi) Doron.

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Conflict of Interest

All authors (Sharon Shiovitz-Ezra, Liat Ayalon, Jenny Brodsky, & Israel Doron) declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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As there is no person or personal data appearing in the paper, there is no one from whom a permission should be obtained in order to publish personal data.

Ethical Treatment of Experimental Subjects (Animal and Human)

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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Shiovitz-Ezra, S., Ayalon, L., Brodsky, J. et al. Measuring Ageism Based on Knowledge, Attitudes and Behavior: Findings from an Israeli Pilot Study. Ageing Int 41, 298–310 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12126-016-9251-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12126-016-9251-9

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