Lay persons' emotional reactions toward an abused elderly person.
This study examined lay persons' emotional reactions to abuse, with special attention to two types of disease: Alzheimer's disease and osteoporosis. A total of 169 adults (mean age = 60) were interviewed face-to-face using a vignette methodology. Although the majority of the participants found the vignette to describe a situation of abuse, one-quarter did not consider it an abusive situation. The person described in the vignette elicited more positive than negative emotions, with a high percentage of participants expressing sympathy, desire to help, and concern. The various emotional reactions to abuse are associated with different correlates.
Werner
Perla
P
Department of Gerontology, University ofHaifa, Israel, Mt. Carmel, Haifa, 31905, Israel. wernerp@netvision.net.il
Eisikovits
Zvi
Z
Buchbinder
Eli
E