The Fraboni Scale of Ageism (FSA-29)

Overview

The Fraboni Scale of Ageism (FSA-29) is one of the most widely recognized self-report psychometric instruments for assessing ageist attitudes, stereotypes, prejudice, and discriminatory beliefs toward older adults. Originally developed by Fraboni, Saltstone, and Hughes (1990), the scale was designed to provide a multidimensional measure of ageism by capturing cognitive, emotional, and behavioral components of attitudes toward individuals aged 65 years and older. Unlike simple attitude measures, the FSA-29 evaluates both explicit prejudicial beliefs and subtle forms of social distancing, making it one of the most frequently used instruments in gerontology, psychology, healthcare, nursing, and social sciences. The questionnaire has been translated and adapted into numerous languages, including Greek, facilitating cross-cultural investigations of age-related prejudice and discrimination.

Objective

The primary objective of the Fraboni Scale of Ageism (FSA-29) is to provide a valid and reliable assessment of explicit ageist attitudes toward older adults, enabling researchers and practitioners to quantify prejudice and evaluate factors associated with age discrimination.

More specifically, the FSA-29 is designed to:

  • Assess negative stereotypes and prejudicial beliefs about older adults.
  • Evaluate emotional reactions and social distance toward older people.
  • Measure discriminatory attitudes that may influence interpersonal behavior and professional practice.
  • Examine determinants of ageism across different demographic, occupational, and cultural groups.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of educational and anti-ageism interventions aimed at improving attitudes toward aging.

Scale Structure

The FSA-29 consists of 29 self-report statements concerning beliefs, emotions, and behavioral intentions toward older adults (defined in the Greek version as individuals 65 years of age and older). Respondents indicate their level of agreement using a 4-point Likert response scale ranging from:

  • 1 = Strongly Disagree
  • 2 = Disagree
  • 3 = Agree
  • 4 = Strongly Agree

The questionnaire includes both positively and negatively worded items, with several statements requiring reverse scoring. The items assess multiple facets of ageism, including:

  • Negative stereotypes about aging.
  • Social avoidance and interpersonal discomfort.
  • Perceived competence and productivity of older adults.
  • Social inclusion and equal rights.
  • Trust, independence, and social participation.
  • Emotional reactions toward older people.

The multidimensional content allows comprehensive evaluation of explicit ageist attitudes while reducing response bias through the inclusion of reverse-worded items.

Applications

The Fraboni Scale of Ageism is extensively used in gerontology, clinical psychology, social psychology, nursing, medicine, public health, social work, education, and health services research. It is particularly valuable for assessing attitudes among healthcare professionals, nursing students, medical students, caregivers, educators, and the general population.

The FSA-29 has been widely employed to investigate the relationship between ageism and variables such as empathy, intergenerational contact, professional experience, educational level, cultural beliefs, and healthcare quality. In healthcare settings, the instrument contributes to identifying age-related biases that may influence clinical decision-making, communication, and patient-centered care. Furthermore, it serves as an important outcome measure in educational programs designed to reduce ageist attitudes and promote healthy aging and social inclusion.

Scoring and Psychometric Evaluation

Each item is scored on the 4-point Likert scale, with reverse scoring applied to positively worded statements before calculating the total score. Individual item scores are summed to produce an overall ageism score, with higher scores indicating stronger ageist attitudes and greater levels of prejudice toward older adults.

The psychometric evaluation of the FSA-29 generally includes analyses of internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha), test–retest reliability, construct validity, criterion validity, and exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Numerous validation studies have demonstrated satisfactory reliability and validity across different cultural settings, supporting the scale’s use in both research and clinical education. Although the uploaded Greek version presents the questionnaire items and scoring format, it does not report specific psychometric coefficients or factor-analytic statistics; therefore, exact numerical reliability indices cannot be presented.

Interpretation

Higher FSA-29 scores indicate greater explicit ageism, characterized by stronger negative stereotypes, increased social distancing, reduced willingness to interact with older adults, and more discriminatory attitudes toward aging. Lower scores reflect more positive perceptions of older people, greater acceptance of intergenerational interaction, and stronger endorsement of equal rights, social participation, and inclusion. Because the questionnaire captures multiple dimensions of age-related prejudice, it provides clinicians and researchers with a comprehensive understanding of explicit ageism and its potential influence on social behavior, healthcare delivery, and public policy.

References

Fraboni, M., Saltstone, R., & Hughes, S. (1990). The Fraboni Scale of Ageism (FSA): An Attempt at a More Precise Measure of Ageism. Canadian Journal on Aging, 9(1), 56–66.

Palmore, E. B. (2001). The Ageism Survey: First Findings. The Gerontologist, 41(5), 572–575.

North, M. S., & Fiske, S. T. (2012). An Inconvenienced Youth? Ageism and Its Potential Intergenerational Roots. Psychological Bulletin, 138(5), 982–997.