Stereotypes of old persons in Singapore.

The research investigated the stereotypic perceptions of older adults in Singaporean society. One hundred and two university students completed the 300 item Adjective Check List (ACL) differentially assigning traits to young or old adults. Item level analysis of ACL data demonstrated a depiction of old adults as intellectually impaired, cantankerous, and conservative but also serene, nurturant and responsible. The affective meaning analysis indicated that the stereotypes of old adults were characterized as less potent and less active than the stereotypes of young adults but that there were no significant differences in the favorability indices. Singaporean data were compared with research on stereotypes in India and the United States and discussed in terms of cross-cultural theories of modernization and aging.