“Old People are Cranky”: Helping Professional Trainees' Knowledge, Attitudes, Aging Anxiety, and Interest in Working with Older Adults

Abstract

This study investigated the efficacy of a gerontology education course in decreasing ageism and aging anxiety and increasing knowledge and interest in working with older adults among undergraduates training for social services careers. Participants completed study measures at the beginning and end of semester. Analyses supported the study hypotheses: ageism and aging anxiety declined over the semester whereas knowledge of aging and interest in working with older adults increased over the semester. Implications for training individuals for aging-related careers are discussed.