Which term describes systematic stereotyping or discrimination against older people?

Which term describes systematic stereotyping or discrimination against older people?

• A. Ageism
• B. Gerontophobia
• C. Age-Related Bias
• D. Senior Discrimination

Answer: (A)

Ageism is the belief or practice that devalues people because of their age, and it specifically encompasses systematic stereotyping and discrimination against older adults. This term captures both the negative attitudes toward aging and the concrete ways those attitudes are lived out in institutions, policies, and everyday interactions—such as biased hiring, unequal healthcare, and skewed media portrayals. The other terms don’t fit as well: gerontophobia refers to fear of aging or older people, not the broad pattern of discrimination; age-related bias and senior discrimination are less established labels that don’t convey the full, systemic nature described.

Ageism is the belief or practice that devalues people because of their age, and it specifically encompasses systematic stereotyping and discrimination against older adults. This term captures both the negative attitudes toward aging and the concrete ways those attitudes are lived out in institutions, policies, and everyday interactions—such as biased hiring, unequal healthcare, and skewed media portrayals. The other terms don’t fit as well: gerontophobia refers to fear of aging or older people, not the broad pattern of discrimination; age-related bias and senior discrimination are less established labels that don’t convey the full, systemic nature described.