Old Age-Related Stereotypes of Preschool Children.

Ageist attitudes have been discovered in children as early as 3 years. However, so far very few studies, especially during the last decade, have examined age-related stereotypes in preschool children. Available questionnaires adapted to this population are scarce. Our study was designed to probe old age-related views in 3- to 6-year-old children (n = 126) using both an open-ended Image-of-Aging question and a new pilot tool, called Young Children's Views of Older People (YCVOP), based on a visual analog scale illustrated by cartoons. Parental views of older people were also collected. The YCVOP was easy to use and internally consistent. Both that scale and the Image-of-Aging question showed globally favorable views of older people in preschool children, especially regarding warmth and smartness traits. However, assessment of physical capacity and independence tended to be negative. The overall results were in line with the low-competence, high-warmth stereotype of older people that is common in young adults and school-age children and was found in parents in the current study (Stereotype Content Model). Strikingly, children's views did not correlate with those of their parents': The children's responses appeared more personal and emotional, while the parents tended to adopt global stereotypes. The preschoolers' views of older people were much more positive in those who spontaneously evoked their grandparents when asked to think of an old person. In conclusion, this study, introducing a new visual tool to assess age-related stereotypes, suggests ambivalent views of older adults start in preschool children and are influenced by grandparents relationships.

Speech accommodation toward older people in 7- To 12-year-old children.

From an early age, children develop stereotypes toward older adults leading to potential ageism. In young adults, ageism includes conversational changes, also known as elderspeak, characterized by louder, slower, and simplified speech. Although it has direct consequence on older adults, to date no studies have explored elderspeak in children. We invited 137 Belgian children aged 7-12 to take part in a guessing game through a dissimulated Skype session. The child had to make two female interlocutors in turn, one young (25 years old) and the other old (75), guess two different words each. During the session, children remained unaware of the real purpose of the game. Prosody, verbal fluency, and semantic content of their speech were measured using the Praat and VocabProfil software. The results, analyzed using mixed-design ANOVA, showed that children spoke louder to the older interlocutor and tended to judge her less competent to guess words than the younger participant. When the older person was second in turn, children engaged in lengthier and more detailed explanations. Unexpectedly, positive views on older people correlated with higher voice intensity, suggesting that the child's differential vocal attitudes may reflect benevolent ageism. In conclusion, significant speech accommodation can be detected in 7- to 12-year-old children when they speak to an older compared with a younger interlocutor. This accommodation is characterized by louder voice and lengthier explanations.

Impact of Contact With Grandparents on Children's and Adolescents' Views on the Elderly.

Stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination against the elderly (ageism) may manifest themselves in children at an early age. However, the factors influencing this phenomenon are not well known. Using both explicit and open-ended questions, this study analyzed the influence of personal and familial parameters on the views of 1,151 seven- to sixteen-year-old Belgian children and adolescents on the elderly. Four factors were found to affect these views: gender (girls had slightly more positive views than boys), age (ageism was lowest in 10- to 12-year-old, reminiscent of other forms of stereotypes and cognitive developmental theories), grandparents' health, and most importantly, quality of contact with grandparents (very good and good contacts correlated with more favorable feelings toward the elderly, especially in children with frequent contacts).