038 Chapter 4 Pre-workshop beliefs about ageing and older adults 4.1 Ambivalent Ageism Scale On the Ambivalent Ageism Scale (AAS), which measures benevolent and hostile ageism against older adults, responses were mostly clustered between ‘disagree’ and ‘somewhat disagree’, indicating a tendency to reject ageist views. Figure 5. AAS statements most frequently disagreed with before the workshop80 ‘Even if they want to, old people shouldn’t be allowed to work because they have already paid their debt to society’ Pre-workshop 5% 92% 3% ‘Even if they want to, old people shouldn’t be allowed to work because they are fragile and may get sick’ Pre-workshop 6% 92% Agreed 3% Disagreed Neutral The totals in some charts may not equal 100% due to rounding. Respondents found the statements expressing overtly paternalistic attitudes, such as those suggesting older adults should be prevented from working, to be particularly unacceptable. More than 50% of respondents reported strong disagreement with these statements and more than 90% at least somewhat disagreed. Figure 6. AAS statements most frequently agreed with before the workshop ‘Even though they do not ask for help, old people should always be offered help’ Pre-workshop 60% 28% 12% ‘It is good to speak slowly to old people because it may take them a while to understand things that are said to them’ Pre-workshop 36% 53% Agreed Disagreed 11% Neutral