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The effects of pre-professional and professional socialization and intergenerational solidarity on podiatric medical students' negative stereotypes and attitudes toward treating the elderly
| Title: | The effects of pre-professional and professional socialization and intergenerational solidarity on podiatric medical students' negative stereotypes and attitudes toward treating the elderly |
| Author: | Chumbler, Neale R. |
| Description: | Doctors of Podiatric Medicine (or podiatrists) play a decisive role in the disease prevention and health maintenance of older Americans. As health care professionals who examine, diagnose, and treat the human foot, podiatrists aid in alleviating pain and maintaining the mobility of geriatric patients. No sociological studies have examined podiatrists' or podiatry students' orientations toward the elderly in general and as patients in particular. Accordingly, this dissertation examines precursors of two dependent variables – podiatry students' stereotypes of older people and attitudes toward treating elderly patients. Among the set of predictor variables, this dissertation examines podiatry students' social background traits, intergenerational solidarity with grandparents, motivations for entering podiatry, and professional socialization. Moreover, four theoretical perspectives – socialization theory, cognitive dissonance theory, Allport's theory of prejudice, and social exchange theory – provide frameworks for interpreting the effects of the predictor variables. The data included a random and nationally representative sample of podiatry stude nts. One-third of the total population of podiatry students were used as the sampling frame. Of the questionnaires distributed to the students, 533 were returned, yielding a total response rate of 77.5 percent. Multiple regression analysis indicated that entering podiatry for extrinsic rewards was a strong predictor of negative stereotypes of the elderly. That is, extrinsic rewards has a statistically significant direct effect on two of the four outcome variables representing negative stereotypes of the elderly – specifically, older people's personality and health behavior. Similarly, there are two strong predictors of negative attitudes toward treating elderly patients: entering podiatry for intrinsic rewards and close bonds with grandparents. That is, podiatry students who reported close relationships with their grandparents and who entered podiatry for intrinsic rewards were less likely to have both negative stereotypes toward older people and negative attitudes toward treating elderly patients. Implications of the findings are discussed in regards to podiatric medical education, such as recruitment and criteria in admitting prospective students |
| Permanent Link: |
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1061821937
http://hdl.handle.net/2374.OX/16095 |
| Date: | 1994 |
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