Research Article Psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the Fraboni Scale of Ageism Yasemin Kutlu, PhD, 1 Leyla Kucuk, PhD 2 and Ummu Yildiz Findik, PhD 2 1 Department of Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing, Istanbul University Florence Nightingale Nursing Faculty, Sisli, Istanbul, and 2 Nursing Program, Trakya University Health Science Faculty, Edirne, Turkey Abstract In this study, the reliability, validity, and psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the Fraboni Scale of Ageism were assessed. The psychometric properties of the scale were studied through a descriptive and correlational design.The study sample consisted of 231 healthy people living in the Marmara region of Turkey. In order to obtain three sets of data, a questionnaire was designed containing demographic questions and the Scale. The content validity index for the full scale was 0.98. The a coefficient for 25 items was 0.84, and the split-half reliability of the Fraboni Scale of Ageism was 0.81. The three factors represented 38.31% of the variance. In this study, we concluded that the Turkish version of the Fraboni Scale of Ageism is a suitable instrument for measuring ageism in the Turkish population. Key words ageism, discrimination, elderly, Fraboni Scale of Ageism, prejudice, Turkey. INTRODUCTION The elderly population is increasing in many countries throughout the world, and there has been a gradual increase in the number of elderly people in industrialized countries. However, in developing areas, such as East Asia, South–East Asia, and Latin America, the demographic change in the aging population is occurring more rapidly (WHO, 2004). It is predicted that the elderly population will rise from 606 million in 2000 to almost two billion in 2050, globally. The number of people aged 60 or over in 2006 was 687,923,000, with 54.5% of them living in Asia (Cheung Mink et al., 2007). According to the Turkish census, (TUIK, 2011) the per- centage of people aged 65 and over increased by 5.7% in 2000, which is more than the predicted number for 2000 in the 1935 census (3.9%). There are approximately 5.5 million people (7.2%) who are 65 or over (Turkish Statistical Insti- tute (TUIK), 2011). Ageism (discrimination against the elderly) has resulted from this significant increase in the elderly population. Robert Butler coined the term “ageism” in 1969 (Butler, 1969). Ageism is widely defined as a process of systematic stereotyping and discrimination against people because they are old. (Butler, 2006, p. 41). Ageism includes both prejudices (beliefs and attitudes) and discriminations (actions), and might have either a positive or negative effect on the elderly.Thus, there are four basic types of ageism: negative prejudice, negative discrimi- nation, positive prejudice, and positive discrimination (Palmore, 1999). Research has indicated that although ageism is currently quite prevalent, it is difficult to detect (Palmore, 2001; Levy & Banaji, 2002), More than 100 articles and books focusing on ageism have been published worldwide since 1990. The majority of US (72%) and Canadian elders (68%) have reported experiences of personal and/or institutional dis- crimination (Palmore, 2004). Compared to other countries, the number of studies regarding discrimination against the elderly is comparatively low in Turkey (Ozdemir, 2009; Vefikuluçay & Terziog ˘ lu, 2010). Ageism is inextricably linked to cultural influences (Cuddy et al., 2005). North Americans generally value individualism, and emphasize the rights of an individual to act free of the constraints of others, and to concentrate on his or her indi- vidual self-interest and self-expression (Wang & Mallinkrodt, 2006). In contrast, Eastern cultures, such as Chinese, (Markus & Kitayama, 1991), Arabs, (Boggatz & Dassen, 2005), and Israeli (Oyserman et al., 2002), adopt more collectivist values. These Eastern cultures place a stronger emphasis on interde- pendence and connectedness among individuals, and espe- cially on the natural bonds of affection between all family members, on meeting one’s social obligation, and on the will- ingness to sacrifice personal goals for social goals (Bodner & Lazar, 2008). Turkey also tends to adopt a collectivist orientation. The social structure is based on close-knit family relationships. Respecting the elderly, by demonstrating obedience and Correspondence address: Yasemin Kutlu, Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing Department, Istanbul University Florence Nightingale Nursing Faculty, Abide-i Hurriyet Street, Sisli Istanbul, Turkey 34381. Email: kutluy@istanbul.edu.tr Received 18 November 2011; revision received 15 May 2012; accepted 18 May 2012. Nursing and Health Sciences (2012), 14, 464–471 © 2012 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd. doi: 10.1111/j.1442-2018.2012.00717.x