Social and cultural attitudes toward aging provide a framework for assessing one's own aging experiences as well as one's attitudes toward older men and women. Ageism, or prejudicial attitudes and discriminatory practices toward older adults (Butler, 1980), has been found to be widespread around the world. This study focuses on a comparative analysis of the attitudes of young adults from Germany and the United States. Specifically, the purpose of this study was to evaluate similarities and differences in the anxiety associated with four measurable dimensions associated with ageism: fear of old people, psychological concerns associated with aging, concern over changes in physical appearance as a result of aging, and fear of losses associated with aging. The second purpose of this study was to evaluate the age at which young adults from these two countries might consider themselves to be "old." The findings indicate significant country and gender differences across the dimensions. German participants tended to view aging much more negatively than American participants did. However, Americans considered themselves to be "old" at a much younger age than Germans. Gender differences indicated that women in both countries were more concerned with age-related changes in their physical appearance than were men. Analyses of the results are discussed in relation to the influence of ageism and negative cultural stereotypes of aging on people's self-image across the life span.

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This study examines and documents the effects of interactive computer-based education and training on the rehabilitation of long-term care residents. This approach was found to provide mental stimulation and challenge, as well as improving practical skills which directly impact upon the competencies and feelings of autonomy of the participants.

The present study focused on an assessment of humor, depression, and personality. 38 male and 91 female college students responded to five self-report questionnaires, i.e., Martin and Lefcourt's Situational Humor Response Questionnaire and Coping Humor Scale, Svebak's Sense of Humor Questionnaire, Zimmerman's Inventory to Diagnose Depression, and the Eysenck Personality Inventory. Analysis indicated that individuals who scored lower on the depression scale tended to score higher on the Coping Humor Scale, Extraversion, and Neuroticism. Also, individuals scoring higher on the humor scales tended to score higher on Extraversion and Emotional Stability. These personality factors appear to be strongly related to the sense of humor construct and depression. Perhaps the personality factors of introversion and neuroticism may be employed to identify a predisposition toward depression.

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