039 Chapter 4 Pre-workshop beliefs about ageing and older adults In contrast, statements that reflected more subtle forms of benevolent ageism generated mixed responses. Around 60% of respondents at least somewhat agreed that older adults should always be offered help, regardless of whether they express a desire or need for it. Likewise, over a third (36%) agreed that it was good to speak slowly to older adults as it may take them a while to understand things that are said to them. These results suggest that respondents are influenced by the stereotypes of older adults as having reduced capacity and competence. These are likely to be implicit, given respondents’ general inclination to reject explicitly ageist statements. Though they may be well-intentioned, constantly offering assistance and adopting a slower rate of speech can lead to patronising interactions and undermine the dignity and autonomy of older adults.81 4.2 Fraboni Scale of Ageism On the Fraboni Scale of Ageism (FSA), which measures prejudice against, avoidance of, and discriminatory attitudes towards older adults, respondents’ scores generally fell towards the lower end of the score range. This indicates that most respondents tended to reject ageist views prior to participating in the workshop. Figure 7. FSA statements most frequently disagreed with before the workshop ‘I don’t like it when old people try to make conversation with me’ Pre-workshop 1% 99% ‘I personally would not want to spend much time with an old person’ Pre-workshop 1% 99% ‘Feeling depressed when around old people is probably a common feeling’ Pre-workshop 3% 97% ‘I sometimes avoid eye contact with old people when I see them’ Pre-workshop 3% 97% Agreed Disagreed