Ageism in undergraduate psychology texts.

Abstract

A sample of 139 texts written over the past 40 years was analyzed for evidence of ageism (i.e., lack of attention to the psychology of later life and stereotyping of older adults). More recent texts cover the topic more comprehensively than in the past, but this coverage is limited in depth. Although textbook authors appear to be trying to communicate a positive message about aging and older persons, their efforts are compromised by ambivalence in the form of contradictory statements about the nature of the aging process. There is an unfortunate condensation of sources in recent texts, which draw heavily from a small cluster of authorities. Implications of these findings for the larger textbook enterprise are discussed.

Having a “senior moment”: Induced aging phenomenology, subjective age, and susceptibility to ageist stereotypes

“…We manipulated aging stereotypes by assigning participants to read a passage that either confirmed or debunked the stereotype that older people are inherently more psychologically rigid (Chown, 1961;Whitbourne & Hulicka, 1990). In the stereotype confirmed condition participants read, ''It is often said that you cannot teach an old dog new tricks, and cutting edge neuroscience research has proven that bit of folk wisdom to be true."…”

Heteronormativity and the Exclusion of Bisexuality in Psychology

“…However, as with 'homosexual', it is a word that necessitates ongoing scrutiny in terms of its implications and the history of its usage, as will become apparent in the analysis. Hulicka's [1990] study on ageism). This analysis follows Simoni (2000) by sampling just over 20 textbooks from a number of relevant areas of psychology and conducting both a quantitative analysis of the overall coverage and an in depth analysis of the presentation of specific material.…”

“…Higher education is a time during which many people negotiate issues of personal and sexual identity, and psychology students in particular tend to apply course material to their own lives (Whitbourne & Hulicka, 1990). If certain groups are omitted or presented as deviant in course material, this could close off opportunities for some and exacerbate feelings of exclusion for others.…”

“…Yanowitz and Weathers (2004) report that they often drive the content and presentation of undergraduate programmes, and that the majority of students see them as the most important sources of information on their courses. Whitbourne and Hulicka (1990) argued that textbooks both reflect and help shape the 'zeitgeist' of the academic discipline (p.1127), and McDonald (1981) stated that it is widely understood that 'textbooks function as agents of socialization by reflecting cultural values, articulating prevailing social norms, and conveying appropriate or socially acceptable standards of behaviour' (p.46).…”

Breaking the Silence of Ageism by Teaching Psychology Musically

“…It is documented by Whitbourne and Hulicka (1990) in their analysis of undergraduate psychology textbooks from the past 40 years. The topic of late adults was assigned one fifth the number of pages allotted to other cohort groups.…”