PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS OF INFANTILIZATION - A CLASS EXERCISE

To sensitize undergraduate students to the phenomenon of infantilizati on, the childlike treatment of older adults, the instructor of a psych ology of aging course designed an exercise simulating an activity in a nursing home. The instructor required students to color within the li nes of a drawing, commented about their dress and level of compliance, and spoke in a patronizing manner. The 138 participants recorded thei r reactions in a three-item questionnaire immediately after the exerci se. Most students reacted negatively to the infantilizing treatment bu t believed that they learned from the experience, making this a valuab le teaching method for psychology of aging courses and for introductor y or life-span developmental psychology courses.