Effects of aging simulation suit interventions: Implicit and explicit ageism among university students

Abstract

While previous studies on aging simulation suit interventions have primarily addressed explicit ageism, ageist attitudes are both implicit and explicit. Moreover, most existing studies have focused on healthcare professionals, despite ageism being a broader social concern. This study examined the effects of aging simulation suit interventions on university students outside healthcare-related fields, employing both implicit and explicit measures. A total of 31 undergraduate students participated by wearing an aging simulation suit and performing everyday activities. Pre- and posttest comparison showed a significant reduction in implicit ageism (measured by Implicit Association Test), whereas explicit ageism (measured by the Fraboni Scale of Ageism) showed no overall change, except for a decrease in the Antilocution subscale. The lack of significant correlation between implicit and explicit measures suggests that they reflect independent constructs. These findings underscore the importance of incorporating both types of measures in future evaluations of ageism interventions. While results indicate that such interventions may reduce ageist attitudes even among general university students, the psychological mechanisms behind this effect remain unclear. Future studies are needed to refine their experimental designs to explore these mechanisms more thoroughly.

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