This action funds Pamela Allen of Oregon State University to conduct a research project in the Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences area during the summer of 2013 at Fu Jen University in Taipei, Taiwan. The project title is "Perceptions of Aging in Taiwan and the United States: Cross Cultural Differences in Domain Specific Attitudes." The host scientist is Zai-Ting Yeh, Ph.D.
Worldwide population aging is transforming gerontology into a globalized discipline and creating a context in which age discrimination could have significant human and economic costs. To examine the largely untested assumption that a collectivistic Asian culture promotes more positive attitudes toward aging, this project identifies differences in stereotypes of the elderly specific to certain life domains (e.g., social, cognitive, physical, financial, sexual) between older adults (65+) in Taiwan and older adults in the U.S. These perceptions of aging are being measured among older adults in the Taipei community using a mixed methods approach with both quantitative survey data and qualitative interview data. Identifying differences in the negativity of aging stereotypes in various life domains between Taiwan and the US helps determine the appropriateness of international translation of gerontological education programs aimed at ameliorating the negative impacts of negative aging stereotypes and ageism. This examination also identifies potential limitations to the goals of globalized gerontology, which promotes international translation of educational programs, and thereby also enhances an understanding of how to mobilize educational resources efficiently.
Broader impacts of an EAPSI fellowship include providing the Fellow a first-hand research experience outside the U.S.; an introduction to the science, science policy, and scientific infrastructure of the respective location; and an orientation to the society, culture and language. These activities meet the NSF goal to educate for international collaborations early in the career of its scientists, engineers, and educators, thus ensuring a globally aware U.S. scientific workforce. The EAPSI Fellow is using first hand experience under the Taiwanese host mentor to build the skills necessary for effective cross cultural research in social science. The benefits of this experience are being passed on in the Fellow's mentoring activities with undergraduate research assistants at Oregon State University. In addition, the collaboration made possible by this fellowship allows the Fellow to include other Oregon State University graduate students in the developing an international research network. At the institutional level, participation in the EAPSI program is enabling the Fellow to assess the feasibility of establishing a lasting research partnership by introducing a research component to the existing student exchange program between the Fellow's host and home institutions (e.g., research assistantships for undergraduate students in Oregon State University's gerontology program). Beyond academic outlets, results of the EAPSI project are to be disseminated through the EAPSI Fellow's interdisciplinary research activities and engagement with the community as an NSF IGERT in Aging Sciences trainee.
Worldwide population aging is transforming gerontology into a globalized discipline and creating a context in which age discrimination could have significant human and economic costs. The goal of this project was to examine the largely untested assumption that a collectivistic Asian culture promotes more positive attitudes toward aging. The data we collected identify aging stereotypes specific to certain life domains (e.g., social, cognitive, physical, financial) among older adults (65+) in Taiwan. We measured these perceptions using the Older Person Scale (Lu & Kao, 2009) among participants from five community activity centers in Taipei. Quantitative survey data were obtained from 175 participants ranging in age from 65 to 90 (Mean Age=73.1; 58% female) in good (38%) or fair (43%) self-reported health. Eight men and 7 women participated in a follow up qualitative in depth interview designed to understand how social, economic and political change in Taiwan has affected family relationships and the experience of aging in Taiwan. Results from the East Asian and Pacific Summer Institute will be compared to data from older adults in the U.S. and existing data from young adults in Taiwan to identify cross cultural and age based differences in the negativity of aging stereotypes in various life domains. Final findings will be disseminated in journal publications and are expected to facilitate optimal aging through determining the appropriateness of international translation of gerontological education programs that ameliorate the negative impacts of ageism.
