Joseph Baker – York University -
SRG 2007
Français
The lack of adequate activity levels in older adults has been linked to increasing demands on an already over-burdened health care system. One potentially important barrier to seniors’ participation in physical activity is the negative stereotypes of aging so prevalent in North America (Levy & Langer, 1994). Seniors are routinely subjected to negative attitudes regarding their physical and cognitive abilities based on stereotypes predicting an inevitable decline
of physical and mental capabilities with advancing age. This research program will examine the role physical activity plays in promoting positive attitudes towards aging and the affect that negative stereotypes of aging have on sport and physical activity involvement in Canadian seniors. This project examines three groups of adults over the age of 60. Group one includes competitive Master athletes from running, cycling, and triathlon. Master athletes comprise an invaluable group for investigating performance in aging populations since they represent the upper limit of functioning typically missing from aging studies (Levy & Langer, 1994).
The second group will be made up of seniors committed to maintaining a physically active lifestyle but are not ‘competitive’ athletes. The final group of participants will be made up
of sedentary but otherwise healthy seniors. The first component of this project will provide
a profile of lifespan physical activity involvement for each participant group, and consider how involvement in physical activity may influence attitudes towards aging. The second component will examine how social stereotypes about seniors affect current levels of physical activity involvement in the three groups. Data collection will involve a quantitative retrospective interview designed to elicit reliable and valid information on physical activity across the lifespan as well as semi-structured qualitative interviews examining the participants’ perceptions of aging stereotypes and their influences on behaviour. This research will provide meaningful information regarding the development of aging stereotypes and their relationship to physical activity involvement in Canadian seniors.
The lack of adequate activity levels in older adults has been linked to increasing demands on an already over-burdened health care system. One potentially important barrier to seniors’ participation in physical activity is the negative stereotypes of aging so prevalent in North America (Levy & Langer, 1994). Seniors are routinely subjected to negative attitudes regarding their physical and cognitive abilities based on stereotypes predicting an inevitable decline of physical and mental capabilities with advancing age. This research program will examine the role physical activity plays in promoting positive attitudes towards aging and the affect that negative stereotypes of aging have on sport and physical activity involvement in Canadian seniors. This project examines three groups of adults over the age of 60. Group one includes competitive Master athletes from running, cycling, and triathlon. Master athletes comprise an invaluable group for investigating performance in aging populations since they represent the upper limit of functioning typically missing from aging studies (Levy & Langer, 1994). The second group will be made up of seniors committed to maintaining a physically active lifestyle but are not ‘competitive’ athletes. The final group of participants will be made up of sedentary but otherwise healthy seniors. The first component of this project will provide a profile of lifespan physical activity involvement for each participant group, and consider how involvement in physical activity may influence attitudes towards aging. The second component will examine how social stereotypes about seniors affect current levels of physical activity involvement in the three groups. Data collection will involve a quantitative retrospective interview designed to elicit reliable and valid information on physical activity across the lifespan as well as semi-structured qualitative interviews examining the participants’ perceptions of aging stereotypes and their influences on behaviour. This research will provide meaningful information regarding the development of aging stereotypes and their relationship to physical activity involvement in Canadian seniors.
The lack of adequate activity levels in older adults has been linked to increasing demands on an already over-burdened health care system. One potentially important barrier to seniors’
participation in physical activity is the negative stereotypes of aging that are so prevalent in
North America (Levy & Langer, 1994). Seniors are routinely subjected to negative attitudes
regarding their physical and cognitive abilities based on stereotypes predicting an inevitable
decline of physical and mental capabilities with advancing age. This research program will
examine the role physical activity plays in promoting positive attitudes towards aging and the
affect that negative stereotypes of aging have on sport and physical activity involvement in
Canadian seniors. This project examines three groups of adults over the age of 60. Group one
includes competitive Masters athletes from running, cycling, and triathlon. Masters athletes
comprise an invaluable group for investigating performance in aging populations since they
represent the upper limit of functioning typically missing from aging studies (Levy & Langer,
1994). The second group will be made up of seniors committed to maintaining a physically
active lifestyle but are not ‘competitive’ athletes. The final group of participants will be made up
of sedentary but otherwise healthy seniors. The first component of this project will provide a
profile of lifespan physical activity involvement for each participant group, and consider how
involvement in physical activity may influence attitudes towards aging. The second component
will examine how social stereotypes about seniors affect current levels of physical activity
involvement in the three groups. Data collection will involve a quantitative retrospective
interview designed to elicit reliable and valid information on physical activity across the lifespan
as well as semi-structured qualitative interviews examining the participants’ perceptions of aging stereotypes and their influences on behaviour. This research will provide meaningful information regarding the development of aging stereotypes and their relationship to physical activity involvement in Canadian seniors.
SCRI 2007 Presentation Slides
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