Fraboni Scale of Ageism

The Fraboni Scale of Ageism (FSA) is a self-report instrument designed to measure prejudice toward older people more precisely than earlier, largely cognitive ageism measures. Published by Maryann Fraboni, Robert Saltstone, and Susan Hughes in 1990, it was built on the premise that ageism, like other prejudices, has cognitive, affective, and behavioural components rather than being only a matter of inaccurate beliefs. The scale comprises 29 attitudinal statements answered on a Likert agreement format and organized into three factors drawn from Allport's analysis of prejudice: antilocution (stereotyping and negative talk), avoidance (the wish to keep social distance from older people), and discrimination (endorsement of differential, restrictive treatment). After reverse-scoring positively worded items, responses are summed so that higher totals indicate more ageist attitudes. By moving beyond a single stereotype dimension, the FSA captured the emotional and behavioural sides of ageism and became one of the most widely used measures of ageist attitudes in research and training.