KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE, AND PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF YOUNG AND OLD ADULTS

Young and old adults completed a questionnaire that measured their knowledge of normal aging and their positive attitudes toward older people. In addition, age-appropriate Eriksonian psychosocial development was assessed (i.e. identity in young adults and integrity in old adults). Young and old adults did not differ in their knowledge of normal aging-neither was particularly well informed. Older adults had slightly-but significantly-more positive attitudes toward old people (p <.05). Young women were not more positive in attitude than young men. Psychosocial development was positively and significantly correlated with attitude in both old (r -.44) and young adults (r -.25). The implications of these findings for educational gerontology are discussed. © 1991 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.