Educational Gerontology, 28: 669–680, 2002

Copyright # 2002 Brunner-Routledge

0360-1277/02 $12.00 ‡ .00
DOI: 10.1080/03601270290099705

CARIBBEAN STUDENTS’ATTITUDES TOWARD OLDER ADULTS

Ella S. Prudent
Barry University,
School of Adult Continuing Education,
Miami Shores, Florida, USA

P. Philip Tan
Department of Social Work,
California State University Long Beach,
Long Beach, California, USA

Using an instrument constructed by Sanders, Montgomery, Pittman, and Balkwell

(1984), this study found that the attitudes of a sample of 201 Caribbean university
students toward older adults were in the neutral range. Analyses of the data re-
vealed that students who had close relationships with older adults had more po-
sitive attitudes. In addition, social work majors had more positive attitudes when
compared to sociology, psychology, and English majors. Those who had lived or
worked with older adults did not have more positive attitudes. There were no
differences in the attitudes of students of African, East Indian, or mixed ancestries.
The Žnds of this study are discussed in relation to similar studies done in the
United States.

As in most other countries the proportion of older adults in the

Caribbean has been increasing. While this increase in Trinidad and
Tobago has been moderate, it has been steady. In 1990, for example,

The authors would like to thank Dr. Innette Cambridge, Social Work Program,
Department of Behavioral Sciences, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine
Campus for coordinating the data collection process.
Address correspondence to Philip Tan, Department of Social Work, California State
University Long Beach, 1250 Bellower Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90840-0902. E-mail:
ptan@csulb.edu

669
670 E. S. Prudent and P. P. Tan

the percentage of older adults in Trinidad and Tobago was 6%.

A decade later it was over 7% (World Fact Book, 2000). It is projected
that in 2015 this group would make up 8% of the population (Pan
American Health Organization, 1989; World Fact Book, 2000). In
countries such as the U.S., however, the increase in the percentage of
older adults has been more drastic, having more than tripled since
1900. In the U.S. those over 65 years of age made up 4.1% of the
population in 1900; in the year 2000 it was 13% (U.S. Department of
Commerce, 1998). As these Žgures indicate, the social, economic, and
political impact of this population shift will be increasingly more
profound. Despite these phenomenal demographic changes and pro-
jections for further increases in the percentage of older adults, studies
of professionals and college students in the U.S. revealed a general
apathy about working with older adults (Butler, 1990; Coren,
Andreassi, Blood, & Kent, 1987; Shmotkin, Eyal, & Lomranz, 1992;
Tan, Hawkins, & Ryan, 2001). One survey of undergraduate students
in the U.S. revealed that all age groups of older adults were perceived
negatively regarding several preselected characteristics listed in the
survey instrument (Hawkins, 1996). Another survey of baccalaureate
social work majors in the U.S. found that although overall attitudes
toward young-old women were positive, overall attitudes toward other
groups of older adults were in the neutral range (Tan et al., 2001). The
survey’s respondents also perceived older adults as sick, inexible,
conservative, unattractive, intolerant, pessimistic, complaining, and
sad. Such negative perceptions and expressed attitudes about older
adults could be harmful to the well being of older individuals. If left
unchecked ageism could be perpetuated and affect the quality of life of
older adults.
Hawkins (1996) and Tan et al. (2001) had recommended using cross-
national studies to explore both the inuence of culture and sociali-
zation on student attitudes toward older adults. The availability of a
sample of university students in Trinidad and Tobago offered an
opportunity to contribute to this task. The following research ques-
tions are addressed in this study:

1. The attitudes of female and male students in Trinidad and Tobago

(all majors) toward older adult women and men who are young-old
(65–74), the old-old (75–99), and centenarians (100 ‡ ).
2. The relationship between student (all majors) attitudes and (a)
age; (b) whether the student had lived with an older adult;
(c) whether the student had been close to an older adult relative;
(d) whether the student had been close to an older adult nonrela-
 Caribbean Students’ Attitudes 671

tive; (e) whether the student had worked with an older adult;
(f) number of years in college; (g) college major; and (h) ethnicity.
3. The relationship between social work student attitudes and (a)
plans to work with older adults after graduation; and (b) plans
to do practicum in a geriatric setting.

METHODOLOGY
Instrument
A 20-item semantic differential scale developed by Sanders, Montgo-
mery, Pittman, and Blackwell (1984) was used to access attitudes
toward six groups of older adult women and men who were young-old
(65–74), old-old (75–99), and centenarians (100 ‡) (see Table 1). The 20
items are adjectives that reect a continuum between extremes of
words selected to describe older adults. A score of four is considered
neutral for each item on a seven-point semantic differential scale.
Lower scores indicate more positive attitudes. Composite attitudinal

TABLE 1 Percentages of Very High and High Positive Responses of

Students toward Older Adults

Male targets Female targets

65–74 75–99 100 ‡ 65–74 75–99 100 ‡

Wise–Foolish 40.1 36.2 38.0 51.3 50.1 50.6

Kind–Unkind 28.6 35.0 39.4 50.2 50.0 59.6
Knowledgeable–Ignorant 45.0 41.4 37.5 45.4 42.7 40.3
Happy–Sad 18.5 14.1 17.9 15.4 16.2 18.8
Trustworthy–Untrustworthy 21.2 28.4 30.9 43.1 42.4 39.6
Generous–SelŽsh 30.7 40.3 34.3 56.9 58.4 55.9
Active–Inactive 43.9 11.4 4.4 26.3 10.2 6.2
Neat–Untidy 12.7 9.1 10.9 35.2 26.3 23.2
Friendly–Unfriendly 33.3 29.0 30.7 50.0 52.2 51.4
Interesting–Boring 44.1 41.5 41.6 45.4 46.2 45.5
Productive–Unproductive 24.5 10.2 5.8 24.5 10.2 6.9
Healthy–Sick 20.6 11.4 2.9 9.2 9.6 5.6
Good–Bad 19.5 23.4 27.2 43.5 44.0 48.6
Flexible–Inexible 12.8 6.3 13.2 9.8 9.2 7.7
Independent–Dependent 31.4 9.7 5.8 19.5 13.4 9.0
Liberal–Conservative 20.9 12.5 9.5 8.2 6.6 10.6
Attractive–Unattractive 12.0 6.91 6.0 12.9 9.7 9.2
Tolerant–Intolerant 17.6 17.3 13.9 20.0 22.0 14.1
Optimistic–Pessimistic 19.0 9.7 9.5 12.4 14.7 12.5
Uncomplaining–Complaining 10.1 9.1 11.0 5.1 5.3 4.9
672 E. S. Prudent and P. P. Tan

scores range from 20 (most positive) to 140 (most negative). Scores

between 70 (3.5 £ 20) and 90 (4.5 £ 20) are considered neutral. The
validity of the instrument was established by Sanders et al. (1984).
Analysis of data from this study established a Cronbach’s Alpha
coefŽcient of .96 for this instrument indicating a high degree of
internal consistency for the overall scale. Data on the experiential and
demographic characteristics of students also was collected.

Data Collection
Respondents, 163 females and 38 males (N ˆ 201), were recruited from
undergraduate students at the Trinidad campus of the major English
language university in the Caribbean. Questionnaires were distri-
buted by an instructor to these student volunteers. These question-
naires were self-administered and completed during scheduled class
lectures in the Žrst semester of the 2000–2001 academic year.

Analyses
A series of one-way ANOVA were performed to determine if female
and male students had different attitudes about older adults in the
six target groups. Bivariate correlation analyses were performed to
determine if each of the selected characteristics of the students was
correlated with their attitudes about older adults in each target
group.

RESULTS
Characteristics of Respondents
Of the 201 respondents, 81% were females and 19% were males.
Almost all (98.3%) respondents listed Trinidad and Tobago as their
place of birth. The sample’s racial and ethnic composition was 44.6%
African ancestry, 28.5% East Indian ancestry, and 24.1% mixed
ancestry; 2.5% did not indicate belonging to any racial or ethnic
category.
Just over half of the respondents (52%) were between the ages of 19
and 30. The respective sample percentages for students 18 years and
younger and over 30 years were 8.2% and 39.8%. In this university’s
three-year undergraduate program, the majority (81.8%) of respon-
dents were Žrst year students, 13.1% were second year, and 5.1% were
third year students. The sample distribution by major is illustrated in
Table 2.
 Caribbean Students’ Attitudes 673

TABLE 2 Percentages of Students by Majors

Major Social work Sociology Psychology English and others

Percentage 23.3 25.0 13.1 38.6

The majority (70.1%) of the student respondents had lived with an

older adult. An even larger percentage (89.3%) reported that they felt
some closeness to an older adult relative, while 75.3% reported feeling
some closeness to an older adult nonrelative. Only 30.3% of the
respondents reported that they had worked with an older adult.
Among the respondents who were social work majors (n ˆ 41),
61.4% were Žrst year students, 19.5% were second year, and 17.1%
were third year. While only 3% reported that they were deŽnitely
planning to do Želd practicum in a geriatric setting, 5.1% reported
that they were deŽnitely planning to work with older adults after
graduation.

Student Attitudes
With the exception of female students perceiving male centenarians
negatively, the overall attitude scores of both male and female stu-
dents toward the six target groups of older adults were in the neutral
range (see Table 3). Female students gave the most positive rating to
young-old females. Male students also gave their most positive rating
to the young-old female target group. Both male and female respon-
dents recorded less positive mean attitudes scores for older target

TABLE 3 Mean Attitude Scores of Students toward Older Adults

Target Male respondents Female respondents Total sample

age group …n ˆ 38† …n ˆ 163† …n ˆ 201†

Males
65–74 76.7 74.0 74.2
75–99 78.6 81.1 80.2
100 ‡ 85.4 90.5 89.4
Females
65–74 73.1 71.1 71.4
75–99 77.6 79.8 79.2
100 ‡ 77.5 84.9 83.3

Note: The higher the score, the more negative the attitude; however, most scores are in
the neutral range (70–90).
674 E. S. Prudent and P. P. Tan

groups. Statistical tests revealed that female students expressed sig-

niŽcantly more positive attitudes toward young-old females than
female centenarians F(2, 387) ˆ 24.72; p < .00, and more positive
attitudes toward young-old males than male centenarians
F(2, 370) ˆ 25.81; p < .00. The attitudes of male students toward the
three target groups of male older adults did not vary signiŽcantly.
Likewise the attitudes of male students toward female older adults in
the three target groups also did not vary signiŽcantly. There were no
signiŽcant differences in (male and female) students’ attitudes of
corresponding age categories of older adult men and women.
Table 1 shows the percentage of favorable ratings (one or two on the
seven point Likert-scale) for each of the 20 items for male and female
older adults in the six target age groups. None of the male target
groups received favorable ratings (over 50% of the sample) on any of
the 20 items. In general, females in all age groups received the most
favorable rating (over 50% of the sample) on four items (‘‘wise–foolish,’’
‘‘kind–unkind,’’ ‘‘generous–selŽsh,’’ ‘‘friendly–unfriendly’’). All six
target groups, however, received less than 25% favorable ratings on
the following nine items: ‘‘happy–sad,’’ productive–unproductive,’’
‘‘healthy–sick,’’ ‘‘exible–inexible,’’ ‘‘liberal–conservative,’’ ‘‘attrac-
tive–unattractive,’’ ‘‘tolerant–intolerant,’’ ‘‘optimistic–pessimistic,’’
and ‘‘uncomplaining–complaining.’’ Men and women in the old-old and
centenarians target age groups also received less than 25% favorable
ratings for the item ‘‘active–inactive.’’ With the expection of the young-
old males, old-old and centenarian males as well as all target groups of
females, were perceived as dependent. Young old and old-old men were
thought to be bad. All target groups of men were perceived as untidy
(less than 25% favorable rating). Except for young-old males, all other
target groups received scores below 20% on the item ‘‘independent–
dependent.’’

Correlates of Student Attitudes

Among the demographic and experiential variables chosen, bivariate
correlation analyses revealed that only two were signiŽcant with all
target groups: (1) students who felt close to an older relative, and
(2) social work majors versus other majors (see Table 4). However, the
correlation coefŽcients for students who felt close to an older non-
relative and their attitudes toward older adults were signiŽcant for
some target groups. Student’s age, having lived with an older adult,
having worked with an older adult, and the number of years in school
did not correlate signiŽcantly with student attitudes of older adults.
There were no signiŽcant differences in the attitudes of students of
 TABLE 4 Correlation CoefŽcients between Characteristics of Students and their Attitudes toward Older Adults

Characteristics of respondents

Social work
Target Had lived with Had been close to Had been close to older Had worked with Years in majors
population age older adult older adult relative adult nonrelative older adults school vs. others

Females
65–74 .04 .05 .26** .15* .02 2 .12 .28**
75–99 2 .08 .09 .26** .11 .09 2 .09 .33**
100 2 .18* .05 .14* .15* .05 .06 .35**
Males
65–74 2 .05 .09 .18* .01 .07 2 .16* .30**
75–99 2 .06 .14 .22** .13 .11 2 .13 .23**
100 2 .09 .18* .18* .25** .12 .07 .16*

*p < .05; **p < .01.

675
676 E. S. Prudent and P. P. Tan

TABLE 5 Correlation CoefŽcients between Characteristics

of Social Work Students and their Attitudes toward Older
Adults

Characteristics of respondents

Plan to work with Plan to do practicum

Target population older adult in a geriatric setting

Females
65–74 2 .06 .09
75–99 .21 .09
100 ‡ .22 .22
Males
65–74 .14 .28
75–99 .07 .18
100 ‡ 2 .07 .16

*p < .05; **p < .01.

African descent, East Indian descent, and mixed ancestry. Among

social work majors, there were no signiŽcant attitude differences
among those who were planning to work with older adults, or who
were planning to do their practicum in a geriatric setting with other
social work students (see Table 5).

DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS FOR EDUCATION

Caribbean nations, like nations in other parts of the world, have to
anticipate and respond to changing demographics, and in particular
the growth in the older adult population. Although older adults are
healthier, more active, and have greater expectations than in the
past, sociodemographic forces and cultural norms continue to inter-
act and inuence how older adults are perceived and how they live.
Ageism is a social ill that continues to exist and needs to be
understood better. This research explored the attitudes of students
from Trinidad and Tobago toward older adults, and analyzed the
relationship between demographics and experiences on student
attitudes.
Almost similar to the Hawkins (1996) and Tan et al. (2001) studies,
two studies conducted in the U.S. within the last 10 years, the overall
student attitudes of this sample (both male and female students) were
in the neutral range with the exception of female students who per-
ceived male centenarians negatively. In this study, both male and
 Caribbean Students’ Attitudes 677

female students gave their most positive rating to the young-old

females. However, older target groups were viewed more negatively.
This Žnding was similar to those reported by Hawkins (1996), Sanders
et al. (1984), and Tan et al. (2001).1
None of the male target groups received a 50% favorable rating on
any of the 20 items. All male target groups were viewed as untidy.
Male target groups, with the exception of the young-old, and all female
targets were viewed as dependent. Less favorable ratings on 9 of the
20 characteristics indicated that the student sample perceived all six
categories of older adults as sad, unproductive, sick, inexible, con-
servative, unattractive, intolerant, pessimistic, and complaining.
Except for the addition of the characteristic of unproductive, these
Žndings are similar to the Tan et al. (2001) study. Likewise, the
Hawkins (1996) sample reported similar ratings except for the sad and
unproductive characteristics.
In this study, the Žndings that having been close to an older relative
was related to more positive student attitudes, was similar to the
Žndings of both the Hawkins (1996) and Tan et al. (2001) studies.
However, the relationship between having a close relationship with an
older adult nonrelative and positive attitudes is not as clear as the
inuence of being close to an older relative. Nevertheless, having a
relationship with an older adult, relative or nonrelative, may dispel
negative stereotypes and attitudes about them. The Žnding that sig-
niŽcantly links positive attitudes with closeness to an older adult
relative should raise concerns when viewed within the context of
changing patterns of care within families in Trinidad and Tobago.
Those charged with the responsibility to prepare future professionals,
especially students interested in professions in human services and
social work, cannot rely only on intergenerational family experiences
to shape attitudes about older adults. The majority (70.1%) of this
study’s respondents reported that they had lived with an older adult.
An even larger percentage (89.3%) felt some closeness to an older adult
relative. However, living arrangements, care, and support for the older
adults in Trinidad and Tobago are increasingly occurring outside of
multigenerational households. This decrease in the opportunities for

1
In these studies differences in the sample size and gender representation of the
sample should be noted. This study’s sample size of 201 was comprised of 81% females
and 19% males and is similar to Tan et al.’s (2001) sample size of 204 with 84.9% females
and 15.1% males. However, all students in the Tan et al. study were baccalaureate social
work students. Hawkins (1996) used a sample of 420 comprised of 59.3% females and
40.7% males recruited from an undergraduate health course. Sanders et al. (1984) used a
sample of 157 comprised of 78% females and 22% males recruited from introductory
courses in home economics and pharmacy. The same instrument was used for all studies.
678 E. S. Prudent and P. P. Tan

intergenerational contact and socialization that inuence respondents’

positive attitudes toward older adults should be replaced by contacts
with older adults who are nonfamily members. Educational programs
at all levels, starting with elementary school, should promote inter-
generational contacts. For example, at the elementary and high school
levels, content on all life stages, including older adulthood, should be
infused into curricula. In addition, intergenerational contact could be
expanded through linking elementary and high school students to
older adults. Activities such as visits to residences with older adults
and volunteering to share skills, resources, and record life histories
would provide opportunities for interaction that could shape positive
attitudes toward the older adult.
Older adults also could be brought into the school system. One
successful model for this initiative is the Foster Grandparents Pro-
gram in the U.S. With special training and tutoring skills, these older
adults improve the lives of children and teenagers in schools and
other educational and community settings. While these older adults
demonstrate their skills and share their wisdom, they contribute to
the society at large. Such intergenerational activities would help to
dispel negative stereotypes about older adults.
The Žndings that there was no signiŽcant correlation between
social work students who wanted to do a practicum in a geriatric
setting and positive attitudes toward older adults are similar to Žnd-
ings reported in Tan et al.’s (2001) study of social work students at a
major south Florida university. Despite the lack of association,
intending to do a practicum in a geriatric setting may eventually be
helpful in dispelling ageist attitudes held by students. Other studies
have shown that students (social work and physical therapy majors)
who complete a practicum that provides considerable contact with
older adults develop more positive attitude toward this population
(Litwin, 1994; Mount, 1993).

Limitations of the Study

The majority of students represented in this study were Žrst year
students. The sample is nonrandom since participation in the study
was voluntary, and there is no information available about the char-
acteristics and attitudes of students who did not participate in this
study.

CONCLUSION
While attitudes are not necessarily predictors of behavior, attitudes
nevertheless have been found to affect behavior. Those involved in
 Caribbean Students’ Attitudes 679

higher education need to respond to the growth in the older population

and continued ageist attitudes held by students. Educators are faced
with the challenge of preparing professionals to work with individuals
across their lifespan. Students are not immune to ageism and the
negative stereotyping of older adults. This study investigated the
attitudes of students toward older adults at the campus of a major
university in Trinidad and Tobago. Although overall attitudes tended
to be in the neutral range, the Žndings indicated that students held
negative attitudes toward older adults pertaining to several char-
acteristics. None of the male target groups received favorable ratings
on any of the 20 items. This sample of students had declared several
majors including sociology, psychology, social work, and English and
perceived older adults as sad, unproductive, sick, inexible, con-
servative, unattractive, intolerant, pessimistic, and complaining. Such
characterizations were not unlike those reported in samples drawn
from students in the U.S. with majors such a social work, nursing, and
physical therapy.
The Žnding that students who felt close to an older adult relative
and nonrelative viewed older adults more positively points to the fact
that more work may need to be done at a broader level. This may be
an opportunity for community-wide information and education cam-
paigns to dispel myths about aging and promote positive aging prac-
tices. The initiative could come from the university in conjuction with
advocacy organizations and government agencies. In addition, as
suggested above, such campaigns should include elementary and high
school students.
In open-ended comments on course work about the older adults in
the current academic program, social work majors registered the need
for more gerontology content, and more geriatric Želd practicum
opportunities. If both components are added to the curriculum and
promoted for all majors, future research could analyze their effects on
student attitudes toward older adults2. Future studies also could be
directed at analyzing the characteristics of social work majors that
improve their sensitivity and lend them to have less ageist attitudes.
As in the United States, educators in Trinidad and Tobago will be
challenged to Žnd ways to counteract negative stereotypes about older
adults. Student attitudes often reect attitudes and values of the
larger society. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that students,

2
In this study only 7.5% of the social work major respondents had taken any ger-
ontology classes. However, since 61.4% of these respondents were Žrst year students, it is
unlikely that they would have completed a gerontology course.
680 E. S. Prudent and P. P. Tan

particularly those who have an interest in working in human services

such as social work, have a basic competence in gerontology.
Caribbean nations like their counterparts in other regions have to
anticipate and respond to the changing needs of the older adult
population. Unlike the more rapid increase in the older adult popu-
lation in countries such as the U.S., Great Britain, and Japan, the
increase in that population segment in nations such as Trinidad and
Tobago is slower. This means that at the national level there is more
time to prepare personnel and engage in social planning. It also is an
opportunity for schools and universities to network with programs
that offer gerontology content. Such resources could be used for edu-
cation, practice, and service needs to train students and faculty using
a program focus on aging through the lifespan that promotes knowl-
edge and positive attitudes toward older adults.

REFERENCES
Butler, R. N. (1990). A disease called ageism. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society,
30, 329–333.
Coren, A., Andreassi, M., Blood, H., & Kent, B. (1987). Factors related to physical
therapy students’ decisions to work with elderly patients. Physical Therapy, 67,
60–65.
Hawkins, M. J. (1996). College students’ attitudes toward elderly persons. Educational
Gerontology, 22, 271–279.
Litwin, H. (1994). The professional standing of work with elderly persons among social
work trainees. British Journal of Social Work, 24, 53–69.
Mount, J. (1993). Effect of a practicum with well elderly on physical therapy students’
attitudes towards older people and their intention to work with the elderly.
Gerontology and Geriatrics Education, 13, 13–24.
Pan American Health Organization. (1989). A proŽle of the elderly in Trinidad and
Tobago — Washington, D. C. Author.
Sanders, G., Montgomery, J., Pittman, J., & Balkwell, C. (1984). Youth’s attitudes to-
wards the elderly. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 3, 59–70.
Shmotkin, D., Eyal, N., & Lomranz, J. (1992). Motivations and attitudes of clinical
psychologists regarding treatment of the elderly. Educational Gerontology, 18,
177–192.
Tan, P. P., Hawkins, M. J., & Ryan, E. (2001).Baccalaureate social work student atti-
tudes toward older adults. The Journal of Baccalaureate Social Work, 6, 45–55.
U.S. Department of Commerce. (1998). Statistical abstracts of the United States.
Washington, DC: Author.
World Fact Book 2000 — Trinidad and Tobago. (2000). Available: www.odci.-
gov =cia=publications=factbook=geos =td.html