The Association Between Education, Experience, and Performance on Two Knowledge of Aging and Elderly Questionnaires

Students in gerontology courses were compared (a) at the beginning and end of an academic term and (b) with nongerontology students on both the Facts on Aging Quiz (FAQ) and the Knowledge of Aging and the Elderly (KAE) questionnaire. No performance changes were observed on either instrument as a result of either short‐term experience of one gerontology course or long‐term personal/ professional experience of a more general character. Higher scores, however, were associated with long‐term differences in education on both the FAQ and KAE. These findings indicate that general work experience with the elderly cannot substitute for formal training in gerontology. They also emphasize the importance of a formal gerontological/geriatric curriculum for those whose work will bring them into significant contact with older persons.