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Updated: Jan 7, 2026

Highlighting and Reducing the Impact of Negative Aging Stereotypes During Older Adults' Cognitive Testing
Published on: January 24, 2020
Are We Preparing Future Psychologists for Aging Clients? Exploring Relationships Between Doctoral Psychology
Grace I L Caskie1, Maria C Tice1, Benjamin B Johnson1
1Department of Education and Human Services, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA.
Abstract:
The shortage of psychologists trained to work competently with older adult clients highlights the need to identify modifiable factors such as knowledge of aging, ageist attitudes, and aging anxiety that may bias therapeutic expectations. Among 212 doctoral psychology trainees, knowledge of aging was low (52% accurate); biological knowledge was more accurate than psychological or social knowledge. More biological and less psychological and social knowledge related to more ageist attitudes and aging anxiety. Knowledge, aging anxiety, and ageist attitudes did not differ based on having aging-related coursework. Trainees with coursework covering ageism had better expectations regarding appropriateness of the client for therapy and their competence and comfort treating the client. Less knowledge, more ageist attitudes, and greater aging anxiety related to poorer therapeutic expectations. Aging-related training should target increasing knowledge about aging and reducing ageist attitudes and aging anxiety as potential ways to ameliorate biases in therapeutic expectations for older clients.
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