Ageism can be defined as negative attitudes regarding people based on their age. There are mixed findings in the literature regarding the existence of ageism among children. This contradictory evidence has been linked with the lack of uniformity of the measurement procedure, leading to inconclusive findings. In this study, we aimed to explore the development of ageism across childhood by applying both implicit and explicit measures to preschoolers (n = 108) (study 1) and to children from the 1st (n = 50) and 4th (n = 50) grades (study 2). In both studies, data was collected in two sessions: in the first session, we applied the Age Preschool Implicit Association Test (PSIAT-Age), the explicit measure of ageism and a behavioral measure of ageism; in the second session, we applied the stereotypical ratings of competence and warmth of older people. Our results showed that children as young as 4 years old already have negative attitudes regarding older people and that there is a developmental pattern of this kind of prejudice along childhood. More specifically, in study 1, preschoolers showed both implicit and explicit bias against older people and they were already aware about the “doddering but dear stereotype”. In study 2, both age groups revealed implicit bias when the PSIAT-Age was applied and older children (9/10 years old) showed a deeper internalization of this paternalistic mixed stereotype, rating older people higher in the warmth than in the competence dimension. Overall, this innovative study allowed us to propose, for the first time, a developmental pattern of ageism along childhood, which can be very useful when planning intervention programs aimed at fight ageism and to promote a more inclusive society – a society for all ages.

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