The aim of this paper is describe and compare the undergraduates' attitudes and beliefs toward aging. Two hundred and seventy seven students (190 women) aged from 18 to 43 (M=23; SD=3,39) have participated in this investigation. Fifty percentagem of them had attended to disciplines; 60% studied aging issues; 62% had social contacts and 32% worked with aged people. The instruments were a) Semantic differential: 30 bi-polar items (DSS) reflecting agency, cognition, social relations and social image; b) Knowledge scale: 25 multiple choice items reflecting physical, psychological and sociological knowledge. The according to the results: a) Positive attitudes, mostly among the youngest, women and those who lived close to aged people; b) Aging right answers low rate (M=41%, SD=10,3%); c) Those that have studied aging matters( Nursing, Physical Education and Medicine students) knew more than those who did not (Education); d) Attitudes and knowledge were positively and significantly correlated. It was concluded that aging attendance and education depends on the offering of opportunities and knowledge structure.
Aged, attitudes toward aging; Beliefs toward aging; Gerontology; Undergraduate students
