Examining ageism: Do male and female college students differ?

Two-hundred undergraduate college students were surveyed regarding their preferences for the ages of 13 different service providers. Further, the construct of ageism as measured by the Fraboni Scale of Ageism (FSA) was used for assessment with this sample. Results suggest that the mean age preference cited by respondents for all 13 service providers was below 40; the lowest mean age (26.5 years) was cited for the position of telephone operator; and the highest mean age (39.8 years) for the position of congressional representative. Except for the position of barber/beautician, gender differences in age preferences for the remaining 12 service providers did not show statistical significance. Results from the FSA suggest that male college students displayed more ageist attitudes than female college students. Age was negatively correlated with FSA.