Perceptions of aging and their relation with age, death depression, and sex

The relations of knowledge and attitudes about aging to one's age, sex, and depression about death were examined. 111 undergraduate and graduate students completed the multiple-choice form of the Facts on Aging Quiz and the Death Depression Scale. Present results extend previous research showing that people's perceptions of aging change with age. How such perceptions change is twofold: (1) perceptions of aging do not become more positive with age but do have less negative bias, and (2) they show more knowledge of aging on test measures. No sex differences were found in knowledge and attitudes about aging. No significant relationship was found between scores on measures of attitudes toward aging and depression about death. Sex differences were found on scores for death depression, with women reporting greater depression about death.