Students at the University of Arkansas recently underwent physical tests in
an aging suit, which simulates factors associated with advanced age through a
research project on ageism being conducted by doctoral student Ashley Binns.
"The manufacturer says the suit ages you 30 to 40 years, but is that
true?" University of Arkansas associate professor of exercise science
Michelle Gray, who is Binns’ advisor, said. "We know that performance on the
fitness tests goes down after putting it on. Does it age you while performing
these physical tasks? The preliminary answer is 'yes.'"
The suit allows young students to experience conditions that older adults
commonly suffer from, such as weight gain, arthritis, poor posture, decreased
circulation, and impaired hearing and vision.
Students wearing the suit were surveyed before and after to gauge their views of the elderly. Binns and Gray
also conducted surveys with students who take part in a service-learning project
at an assisted living facility and students who learn about aging in a classroom
setting.
"An important aspect of our research is looking at the question of how
we can decrease ageism among our students and in society," Gray said. "Ageism affects more
people than racism and sexism ... When we ask students the first word that comes
to their minds about older adults, 99 times out of 100 the answer is
negative."
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