Sociodemographic variables, personality traits and the dimension of individualism and collectivism as predictors of ageism in Croatia

Ageizam je jedan od najčešćih oblika diskriminacije, no bitno se razlikuje od mnogih drugih oblika. Suprotno razmjerno stabilnom članstvu u različitim skupinama, prirodnim procesom starenja pripadnici jedne dobne skupine postaju pripadnici drugih dobnih skupina ulazeći u stariju životnu dob te postajući „drugi“, kao i potencijalne žrtve diskriminacije. Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je ispitati prediktivnost sociodemografskih varijabli, osobina ličnosti te dimenzija individualizma i kolektivizma za ageizam. U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 533 sudionika dobi od 18 do 74 godine (M = 32.41, SD = 10.7, 75.4% žena). Kriteriji za ageizam bili su moderni rasizam (1), sadržaj stereotipa (toplina (2) i kompetencija (3) stereotipa) te uvjerenja o ageizmu (4) (pozitivna ličnost (5) i društveni položaj (6) starijih osoba). Rezultati istraživanja pokazuju kako je spol sudionika prediktivan za sve mjere ageizma pri čemu su muškarci skloniji diskriminaciji. Dob je pozitivan prediktor modernog rasizma i topline stereotipa, a negativan prediktor uvjerenja o starijim osobama. Važnost vjere u životu pozitivan je prediktor modernog rasizma. Od osobina ličnosti ugodnost je negativan prediktor svih mjera ageizma, savjesnost negativan prediktor topline i kompetencije stereotipa, a otvorenost negativan prediktor kompetencije stereotipa i uvjerenja o starijim osobama. Horizontalni kolektivizam negativan je prediktor topline i kompetencije stereotipa, dok je vertikalni kolektivizam pozitivan prediktor kompetencije stereotipa, a vertikalni individualizam uvjerenja o starijima. Nalazi upućuju kako su osobine ličnosti najbolji prediktori ageizma, posebice sadržaja stereotipa o starijim osobama.Ageism is one of the most common forms of discrimination yet quite distinct from the other forms of discrimination. Contrary to the relative stability of group membership in different groups, members of one age group will naturally become members of another age group through natural aging process, eventually becoming the elderly „others“. The aim of this study was to determine predictivity of sociodemographic variables, Big Five personality traits and the dimensions of individualism and collectivism for ageism. The study was conducted on a sample of 533 participants ranging from 18 to 74 years old (M = 32.41, SD = 10.7, 75.4% women). The criterion variables were modern racism (1), stereotype content (warmth (2) and competence (3)) and beliefs about ageism (4) (positive personality (5) and the social role (6) of the elderly). Study results show that the sex of the participants is predictive for all measures of ageism (with men more likely to discriminate). Participants' age is positively predicitve for modern racism and stereotype warmth, but negatively predictive for beliefs about the elderly and their social position. Importance of faith in life is positively predictive for modern racism. Among personality traits, agreeableness is a negative predictor of all measures of ageism, conscientiousness is a negative predictor of stereotype warmth and competence, and openess is a negative predictor of stereotype competence and beliefs about the elderly. Horizontal collectivism is a positive predictor of stereotype competence, while vertical individualism is a positive predictor of the beliefs about the elderly and their positive personality. Findings indicate that the best predictors of ageism are personality traits, especially of the stereotype content about the elderly